Back To The Start
by TeamBlaus4EVER
Summary: It's been six years since Savannah saw Juice. After coming home from a year studying abroad,the last thing she expected to find was Juice in Charming,and a now patched member. Can she walk away from him for good, or will history repeat itself? **Sequel to Do It Like a Dude**
1. Back To Charming

_I went back and forth on how to start this installment into Savannah Teller's life a few times, and thank you Love Ink for putting up with me! lol You've been a big help with this sequel, no doubt about that. I hope you all enjoy it! Fair warning, there are some scenes from the original story of Savannah in here, obviously editted to fit with Savannah and Juice's new history. I hope you all still stick around and review! I love hearing from you guys. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 1_

 _!$# %$#%#_

Six years had passed since Juice had been arrested and sent to prison for whatever bullshit it was Luka had fed to the cops. He'd done his time and he'd paid his dues. When he'd gotten out, he only had one place he wanted to go. Wherever Savannah Teller was, and that just happened to be Charming, California. He wasn't sure what he expected to happen when he showed up, but it definitely wasn't to end up joining the club he'd wanted her away from all those year ago.

Savannah hadn't been here when he finally got to town. She'd gone to study a year abroad and she'd ended up staying a few months longer. He knew she'd love it there, it was why he'd set up the account for her in the first place. He wanted her to see the world, even if he wasn't there to see it. He wanted her to see everything, wanted her to see she could have a life out of Charming and the club. Ironic since his life brought him to Charming and the club.

Looking at the picture of the Perellis and him on his graduation day he'd kept over the years, he couldn't help but smile and hope they were doing okay. It'd been almost a year since he'd talked to them. He'd meant to keep in contact, and they had for the first year he was here, but life got in the way and people lost touch. He could still remember the last time he'd seen them like it was yesterday.

' _Four years had passed since he got to see the outside. After collecting his things, he was released to the outside world. It was almost surreal, a dream he didn't believe would ever happen. He was certain he'd die before he'd be released. Now here he stood, chain free and no longer confined to a locked cell. He couldn't wait to eat actual food again, only a real home cooked meal would have to wait. Even after four years, he still had to hold up his end of his and Luka's deal._

 _He needed to get out of New York and never come back._

 _He'd written a letter to Mrs. and Mr. P a few weeks ago, telling them to sell all his stuff, car included, and if they could get him a bike. It'd be easier to drive around. He didn't have a home to go to, meaning most of his things were just taking up space. He just needed a bag of clothes, and cash for the road. Where would he go though? Did he have a destination in mind? He did, but he wasn't sure how good an idea it was._

 _Charming, California._

 _Mrs and Mr. P were waiting for him out in the parking lot. He was almost relieved to see them because he knew he wouldn't have the chance to go visit them before leaving town. His smile spread across his face when he saw the woman he considered a mother. She had tears running down her wrinkled face as she extended her arms to him. "Oh, mijo. Mijo, look at you. You're so handsome. Look at how you've grown." She doted on him, stroking his cheek as she took in how much he'd changed since he went in._

 _He'd got more meat on his bones since going in, mostly muscle. His hair had grown back in, some facial hair as well. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he grew taller as well. He wrapped his arms around the older woman, tears actually springing in his eyes. He'd missed her more than he'd like to admit. She was familiar to him, she was home._

 _"My love, you have to let the boy go. He should get on the road before sunset." Mr. P said, reminding his wife they didn't have long with their boy._

 _Clearing her throat, the older woman composed herself and wiped her eyes. She was shaking with sadness still, but she knew there'd be time to mourn the boy she was losing. Juice kissed her cheek, squeezing her hands. "Just because I can't come visit doesn't mean I can't call or write." He said, wishing he could comfort her in some way._

 _It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her crack a smile. Clearing his throat, he hugged her again before going over to the van to help Mr. P get his bike out of the back. He could see the old man struggling with the machine and gave him a small smile before he lifted it out and carefully set it on the ground. Looking it over, he knew it wasn't the best bike, not one he would have picked himself, but it would do for what he needed to do. It would be good enough to get him across the country._

 _Once he knew it wouldn't fall over, he moved around it and brought the old man into a tight embrace. He wanted to remember every detail he could. He'd never forget the person who opened not only their home, but their hearts to him. Something not even his own mother could do for him. She'd always hated him for making his father leave, he knew that deep down. This couple held no grudges against him, didn't treat him any less when he screwed up, and he loved them for it. They were his family through and through._

 _"You guys will always be my family." He mumbled into Mr. P's neck._

 _The older man patted his back. No matter what had happened, he'd always be proud of Juice and everything he's accomplished. They still have his diploma and graduation picture hanging up in the dinner. He were the son they never had, and that was never going to change for either of them. Pulling back from the embrace, Mr. P glanced at the bike before looking back to him. "Where will you go?" He asked, his curiousness and worry for Juice's wellbeing getting the best of him._

 _Juice grinned weakly at the question. "The only place my heart will let me go."_

 _While Mr. P was confused, his wife knew better. "He's going to find Savannah." She said, a sad smile slowly appearing on her lips._

 _As per his request, she'd kept an eye on Savannah and kept him up to date with how she was doing. She'd graduated a few months ago and returned home. She'd graduated and they attended, as well as her parents, brother, and a few other men all wearing leather kuttes. He'd once asked if she was happy, and Mrs. P . . . she couldn't lie to him. So she chose not to answer, which ended up being the answer he was afraid of in the first place._

 _Savannah wasn't happy. She'd put on a fake smile for show, but she wasn't happy after he broke things off. She was heartbroken and never quite recovered after he went away. That was what the older woman didn't want to tell him, even if it was true. He wanted to believe she found love again, lived a good life without him, but he was wrong. He'd broken her far worse than he ever thought he was capable of doing. If only she knew it'd killed him too, to push her away like he had. It kept her out of Luka's sights though, and he'd never regret keeping her safe. Never._

 _Climbing onto his bike, he made sure everything was set to go before he looked back to the elderly couple watching him. Putting on his helmet, he tried his best to force a smile. He didn't want to drag this out and make saying goodbye any worse. "I'll check in when I stop for the night. Don't worry about me, Mrs. P. I'll be fine." He said, giving them both another quick hug before he revved his engine to life. Mr. P held his wife, consoling her as Juice started his drive._

 _Charming here he comes._ '

Wiping his cheek, he smiled sadly before putting the picture back up on his nightstand. He kept two pictures there. His parents, the people who really raised him to be who he was, and his sister and little niece. She was almost starting kindergarten. There was another picture he kept on his person though. Reaching into his cut pocket, he pulled it out and traced the familiar face with his thumb. Sometimes the sight of her smile made his heart ache, and other times it made him smile back.

She was sitting on the bed across from him, her gross green face mask on. She was sticking her tongue out at him, a smile breaking out on her face. He knew he had better pictures of her to keep with him. He actually had a stack of pictures from their college days hidden away in his sock drawer, but he kept this one on him for runs and just on a day to day basis. It reminded him of the days he was just a regular guy, trying to make a life for himself and his girl.

A girl he still loved with his entire heart. No sweetbutt could replace her, and he knew that from trying. Chibs always teased him, said he had an obsession with brunettes, but he knew it was more than that. Of course, he'd slept with the occasional blonde, even some red heads once or twice. He couldn't remember names or faces, but brunette was his go to, and the guys knew it. Jax's fists would clench any time it was brought up in front of him, knowing exactly which brunette he was stuck on, but he said nothing and ignored them.

The sound of wolf whistles coming from outside caught his attention. Reaching around, he pulled back the blinds and tried to see what was going on. He couldn't see much from his angle, but there was definitely something going on. Grabbing his shirt, he tugged in on before grabbing his kutte and heading outside to see exactly what that something was.

Walking outside of the clubhouse, he felt his heart race seeing who Tig had wrapped up in his arms currently across the lot. Her hair was shorter now. He could see she'd put in some blond streaks too, but it was still her. It felt like his heart was beating hard against his ribcage and it made it hard to breath. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or having a fucking goddamn nightmare. It could go either way.

Savannah Teller had come home.

Jax drove into the lot, Savannah sitting behind him. Half Sack was driving the van in behind them with her luggage. They'd picked her up at the airport as soon as her flight got in. Gemma had known all week, but wanted to surprise the guys with Savannah homecoming. Of course, they had their own surprise waiting for the young brunette.

As Jax backed into his usual spot, Savannah's eyes were drawn to the new bikes parked in the lot. She figured maybe it was the prospect's, but there were a few she didn't recognize. Obviously she'd missed some stuff since being away. She didn't have too long to think about it before the cheering caught her attention. Before she knew it, she was being pulled left and right into different embraces.

Tig called for a party, taking advantage of the chance to have a celebration. She laughed, nodding as she welcomed the wild man's embrace next. Movement caught her eyes and her attention turned to the clubhouse. Someone had just come out, and she had to squint to get a good look at him. His hair was shaved, save for the strip between a pair of head tattoos she knew very well. She'd sat beside the man who'd gotten them and held his hand for every minute they were there.

He'd bulked up, but she'd still know every inch of that brown skinned body, every curve and muscle. She knew those damn brown eyes that could put out her anger in seconds. The same eyes that haunted her for over five years now. She knew that mouth that could make her melt and her knees shake. "JC," She paused, slowly pulling away from Tig. Confusion crossed some of their faces before she stormed over there. "What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed, her tone growing angry with every step closer she got.

"Sav, I . . ." Juice started to say, but paused when he realized he didn't actually know what he could say.

She slowed down and stopped a few feet from him. He was really here, close enough to touch but far enough he wouldn't try to. Her entire body was shaking with anger. How dare he come _here_ , of all places? It'd been years since he told her to leave and not look back, but just seeing him brought back all those feelings she'd blocked away. From the patched kutte on his back, he'd been here long enough to prospect and get voted in. She wasn't sure what upset her more. The fact that he was here, or that they hadn't told her he was here, let alone that they voted him in.

"Something you need to tell us, Sav?" Tig asked, looking between the brunette and Juice.

Chibs and Tig watched the scene unfold with curious glances. Neither had any idea what was going, but the Scott had a feeling this was the girl that Juice was so wrapped up on since he got here. He knew Savannah, and no doubt the other Tellers somehow. "You know this guy, Savvy?" Chibs asked, looking between the guy he'd grown to love as a brother. Now Juice looked guilty and it only sparked the curiousness in him more.

Savannah clenched her fists, her jaw setting. He'd invaded her safe place while she wasn't here. He wasn't suppose to be here. She wasn't even aware he was even released, let alone that he'd been in Charming all this time. Not that she would. He didn't want her to know. It wasn't like she was ringing up Mrs. P for details, and apparently her own family couldn't be bothered to tell her. "Know him? I've just seen him naked." She snapped, turning on her heels and storming off toward her mom's office.

"Now I'm worried." Jax chuckled, watching as Savannah slammed the door behind her. Her and Gemma were a dangerous pair.

Gemma hadn't been happy with Juice working at the garage, but they'd given him a chance to prove himself. He'd done just that, and sure enough it wasn't long before he'd convinced Chibs to sponsor him. What finally won the others over was his tech savvy skills, or more importantly, his ability to hack into almost anything. Juice turned red at her outburst, rubbing the back of his neck when all eyes turned to him. He had a lot of explaining to do.


	2. Are Your a Beamer or The Deer?

_Thanks for all the reviews! I wasn't expecting to get as many as I did! I hope I don't disappoint anyone! Reviews are always welcome! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my oc, everything else belongs to their rightful owners!_

 _Chapter 2_

 _#$%^ &$%#$_

Not even a week home, and Savannah was already back to work at Teller-Morrow. She couldn't be more happier though. After being away so long, it felt nice to be here, to work with people she knew and loved. Well, for the most part. Juice being here was going to be an adjustment, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. He was Samcro now, as weird as that was, and he was here to stay.

Chibs and Half Sack, the newest prospect, were pulling in the lot with a Beamer attached to the back of the tow truck. He was just pulling it in front of Savannah when she saw her brother driving in on his bike. Half Sack climbed under the chain attaching the hook to the front bender to stand beside her. "This is some sick shit, huh?" The prospect asked, grimacing as he looked over the damage.

Her expression turned to the car with a look of disgusted as she did the same. A deer had been hit, and it was now stuck inside the windshield. "That's one way to put it." She muttered under her breath. She wasn't sure how they were getting it out, but she did know it wouldn't be her doing it. That was for damn sure.

"Some days you're the Beamer, some days you're the goddamn deer." Jax said as he joined the trio.

Chibs chuckled, shaking his head as he closed the door to the truck and came around the back to join them. Chibs was an older member, the one she'd found out took Juice under his wing and eventually sponsored him. She'd have to thank him for that . . . _not_. "Some yuppie creamed 'er up at the streams." He explained, looking between the three who were looking at the deer with different expressions. Amusement, disgust, and horror.

"He run into it, or did he hit a tree while it was giving 'em head?" Jax asked with a chuckle as he leaned in to get a better look at it.

"How the hell do you want us to get it out of there?" Half Sack asked, leaning against the car before he raised his head to look at Jax.

Savannah crossed her arms, raising a brow at the prospect. She had to have misheard him. There was no way she was going anywhere near that animal. She wasn't a wuss, but even she had her limits. Her churning stomach was telling her this was it. "You mean you, Kipper. I am not touching that thing. Sorry. I'm a mechanic, not a damn doctor. I don't do blood." She said, glancing between the three before her nose scrunched up in disgust again at the sight of the corpse.

Jax didn't say anything, only shared a smirk with Chibs before he came around the car and grabbed a chainsaw from inside the tow truck. "Come on. Jesus, man." Half Sack said, cringing at what he'd have to do.

"Just pretend it's 'carve your own steak' night at Sizzler." Jax said, handing the machine off to him.

"I don't eat meat, man." Half Sack confessed, glancing between the three.

"Figure it out, grunt." Jax said, raising an unlit cigarette to his lips.

His eyes flickered to his sister, only to see her chuckling at the prospect's expense. She was just as ruthless as their ma sometimes, it was scary. "Hey, go make sure he doesn't cut off his last nut gettin' that thing to start." He said, motioning for her to get going. He had to talk to Chibs about club shit, and she knew better to hang around and listen in. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and jogged over to Half Sack.

"I'm not, you know, gonna hurt myself, Sav." He said, blushing when she looked to make sure it would actually work.

He was embarrassed, a reoccurring habit of his since they met a few days ago. She noticed he acted the same way with her ma. He was shy with women he knew to respect. It wasn't a bad thing, if you asked her. "I know that, Kip. They're just talking shop, don't want little ol' me to overhear anything I shouldn't." She said, hoping she eased his embarrassment. "I was serious though. I am not touching that deer." She said, glancing back at the car with disgust.

Nodding, Half Sack chuckled and headed over to the car. Jax had walked away, now on the phone with someone. Savannah crossed her arms, watching Half Sack as he started up the chainsaw and got to work. She cringed at the blood that sprayed him, causing him to gag when he saw the gore up close. "Hey, Sav!" Her attention was torn away from the bloody sight to her brother, who'd hung up with whomever it was on the phone. "You want to check out the old storage unit with me? Help me pick out some shit for the kid." He asked, motioning his head to his bike.

With a quick nod of her head, she sent an apologetic look to Half Sack before jogging over to her brother, her jog slowing to a walk when she reached his side and the two headed back to his bike. Her car was parked beside his bike. They'd need something to bring back anything they managed to salvage, so they split up and she followed him in her car to the storage unit.

%$%^&#&^$

Jax lifted up the door to the storage unit and it was like they were hit with memories when they saw everything inside. Their ma had kept a lot of their shit over the years. Looking around, they could see toys, baby crap, stuff from when she was younger. You name it, and it was probably here. Savannah wondered in first, picking up an old stuffed animal. "I remember this. Opie won it for me at Fun Town when you guys were in 7th grade, I think." She said, petting the stuffed bear affectionately.

Jax glanced back and chuckled, remembering the day clearly. It was pre-Donna days, and back before Sav was even interested in boys. Much to his relief. "Yeah, back before Opie could see you for the goblin you are. Hell, he had the biggest crush on you back then."

That was news to Savannah, she hadn't known Opie had a crush on her. Obviously, he grew out of it. Their relationship changed and they became more like siblings. She was nervous to see him again, which was probably why she kept putting it off since getting back to town. She wasn't sure what to say to him, or if he'd even want to talk to her. He was trying to earn legit these days and avoiding the club. She just wasn't sure if that meant her too.

Chuckling, Jax turned his attention back to the objects around them. Lifting a car seat, he tugged on the straps to test if it was in good condition. When he found that it was, he passed it to Savannah, who in turn put it outside to grab on their way out. Savannah spotted a teddy bear and picked it up. _Tommy_ was stitched into the bear's collar. It belonged to their youngest brother who'd passed away when they were kids. "It's Tommy's." Savannah said, holding it up to her brother.

"Add it to the pile, I guess." Jax said, rubbing the back of his neck.

It felt wrong to just toss it back in with the mess. Tommy might not be around, but he still loved his brother. His attention turned to a few more toys before he caught sight of a box with their dad's name on it. "I think it's some of Dad's shit." He said, giving he a quick look before he lifted it up with little strain. Giving his sister another glance, he dusted it off and pulling the lid off.

Upon opening it, he found a stack of pictures and chuckled when he saw a few of them, passing them over so Savannah could see them too. He was older, he remembered their dad better. He knew it'd make her feel better to see their dad. He skimmed through the old albums and folders until he noticed a manila folder slip out from one of them. Glancing at his sister, he noticed she was distracted looking through the pictures. He pulled open the folder and pulled out its' contents.

 _The Life and Death Of Sam Crow._

 _How The Sons Of Anarchy Lost Their Way._

 _By John Thomas Teller._

Jax read to himself on the first page. His eyes flickered to Savannah before he found a spot to sit and flipped to the next page. Savannah caught sight of him and put the pictures down before sitting beside him. "What is this?" She asked, her eyes skimming the cover page as he had a moment ago.

"I honestly don't have a clue." He said, sparing her a glance before looking at the next page.

 _For my daughter, my light, my angel. To my sons, Thomas, who is already at peace. And Jackson, may he never know this life of chaos._

Savannah glanced at Jax to see his reaction, only to be met with one of confusion before he turned to the next page and started reading more. Tears stung her eyes before she realized what was happening. She didn't remember much about her dad, but it wasn't like her mom helped in that case. It was like she'd buried any reminder of him. He was a black spot in her life she wanted to forget.

Getting up, she cleared her throat and hurried to wipe her eyes. Jax sent her a worried look, wondering if she was alright. Waving him off, she refused to meet his eye. "Just the dust. I'm fine. I'm gonna load this stuff up and head back to TM. Have fun with your reading." She said, starting to make a pile of the items they'd picked so she could make one trip to her car and be done with it.

"Hey, Savannah!" Jax called out. She paused in her stacking and turned her head. "Can we keep this between us? Just until I know what it is."

Her face scrunched up in confusion, but she nodded regardless. Jax nodded in return before getting up. He grabbed most of the stuff and led the way to her car. The least he could do was do the heavy lifting. "Hey, just promise me something, Jax." She said as he packed the stuff into her trunk. He looked over, nodding his head to go on. "Whatever's in that thing, don't let it mess with your head. Who knows when dad wrote that shit. He could have been drunk or out of his mind. Just . . . don't take it to heart." She said, squeezing his arm.

He hesitated, not sure what to tell her. He wanted to tell her he'd toss it. That he wouldn't read much of it, but he knew that wasn't gonna happen. He'd read probably all of it, if not most of it, and he was curious to get inside of his dad's head. Maybe it'd explain why he'd . . . done what he did. From the worried look on Savannah's face though, he couldn't tell her any of that. "Don't worry so much, sis. I'll meet you back at the clubhouse later and pick up this shit from your car." He said, kissing her head before shutting the trunk and heading back to the storage unit. She watched him go with a concerned expression, but sighed and shook her head before getting in her car and driving off.

# !# $%^

Savannah had just finished up her shift when she noticed her ma pulling into the lot, driving like a manic as she laid on her horn with urgency. Something was wrong, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. Putting down her tools, she pulled off her gloves and headed outside the same time the guys were coming out of the clubhouse. They must have seen Gemma's car come in from the security cameras, or it could have been her honking her horn like there was no tomorrow.

"I tried calling you." Gemma said, hurrying over to Jax.

"What is it?"

Savannah jogged over to the group, joining her ma and the guys. Her heart was beating against her rib cage with worry when she saw the fear in her ma's eyes. Something had happened, something bad. "It's Wendy. You need to get to the hospital. Now. I'll explain when we get there." Gemma said before motioning for him to go. Jax seemed to be stunned for a moment before Clay squeezed his shoulder and pushed him toward the bikes.

"Ma," Savannah started to say, but Gemma just shook her head.

"Get in the car. I'll drive." She said, tugging on her hand.

Savannah followed her back to her car with no complaint. She hurried to jump into the passenger seat and they were speeding out of the lot right behind the horde of bikes in front of them. "Fucking junkie shot up in the kitchen. I went to check on her and found her passed out and bleeding. Called 911 and then came here to get Jax when he wouldn't answer his damn phone." Gemma explained as they sped down the street.

Savannah was shocked. She knew Wendy was pregnant, she knew she was having a hard time staying clean and that was one of the reasons Jax was divorcing her, but she hadn't realized it was this bad. If something happened to her nephew, she was gonna kill the bitch herself. She never trusted Wendy, she hated when they first got together. She'd called it then, that this couldn't end well. She hated to be right this time.

They met the guys as soon as they got to the hospital and they all headed upstairs, Gemma leading the way with Savanna, Clay, and Jax close behind her. Bobby and Chibs were only a few steps behind the them. "I found these matches next to a bunch of her empty thumb bags. Hairy dog." Gemma explained, glancing to Clay as they hurried down the hall.

"Shit." Clay cursed. "It's gotta be the Nords dealing out of the Dog again." He went on, glancing at Jax as they the ground searched for the right room.

"Darby got out of Chino two weeks ago." Bobby spoke up.

"Yeah, well, call that Nazi prick. Set a meeting." Clay said as they came up to the right room.

Savannah stopped a few feet back with her ma and the others as Jax continued on toward the room. Her blood boiled at the sight of Tara Knowles coming out, but she had more things to worry about that her old friend coming back to town. Like if her nephew was going to make it or not. "What the hell happened?" Jax asked his ex, glancing in to see the doctors working on Wendy.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Couple of weeks."

Tara glanced at the ground, pity in her eyes. She felt bad for them. She hated that it was Jax's kid this was happening to. It hurt her to see him in pain and frightened for his child. He didn't deserve that. No parent did. "Her hands and feet were full of tracks." She said, pausing to glance at the group before clearing her throat. "Toxicology reports aren't back yet, but it's most likely crank." Tara explained to Jax.

Jax was in over his head, trying to wrap his mind around everything. His eyes shifted to Wendy, only to widen when he realized she was missing something. Her baby belly. Their son was no longer inside of her. "The baby?" He muttered, fear gripping his heart when the worst possibly scenario came to mind.

"We had to do an emergency C-section. He's 10 weeks premature." Tara said, hating the look of pure fear on Jax's face.

"Holy shit."

"Come on. Let's sit down, and I'll walk you through it." Tara said, motioning for him to follow her.

Jax shook his head, not wanting to go anywhere. He wanted to just hear what she had to say and find out what was happening to his son. "Just tell me." He said, not moving an inch.

Savannah gripped her ma's hand, both of them wondering the same thing. Gemma squeezed her hand before letting go and joining Jax so she could support him. Tara glanced between them before nodding and taking a deep breath. "He's got a congenial heart defect . . . and gastroschisis, a tear in his abdomen. The gastro and the early birth are from the drugs, but the C. H. D is probably-" Tara started to explain.

"The family flaw." Gemma cut her off, her eyes glancing to Jax and Savannah.

Jax had it when he was born, but Savannah had been lucky enough for it to skip her. Unfortunately, their youngest brother wasn't as lucky as them. He'd passed away too young because of it. Jax had been old enough to remember it, but Savannah hadn't been. She was only in elementary school. The grown ups had protected her from it as much as they could. Gemma remembered every painful second of it though. It was what ruined John Teller. She'd never wish for Jax to go through it with his own child.

"Yes, it's genetic." Tara said, nodding as she looked between them. "Either would be serious, but not life-threatening. However, the two of them together-"

She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, but Jax knew where it was headed. Tears welled up in his ears, but he fought his hardest to keep them from falling. "Dr. Namid gives him a 20% chance, and . . . I'm afraid that's being optimistic." Tara said, her own heart breaking as she saw how much it was killing Jax to hear this.

"Oh, my god." Savannah gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

Clay placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed before he pulled her to him. He was never one to be affectionate toward his step-daughter, but if there was ever a time to be it was now. Tears rolled down her cheeks, silent sobs leaving her as he held her. She wasn't as strong as Jax was. She couldn't be as strong as her mom was. She felt weak, but at the moment she didn't care.

"She never wanted to talk to me. I didn't know." Jax said, looking between them all.

"Her O. B. said she missed her last three appointments. No one knew." Tara said, not wanting him to blame himself. "Dr. Namid wants to fix his belly first. Then if he stabilizes, he'll go in and try to repair the heart. I'm sorry, Jax." She said, glancing between him and Gemma. "I can take you to see him now."

Tara turned to lead the way to the room they were keeping the baby in. Jax hesitated before calling out to her. She paused and turned her head. Savannah raised her head, her cheeks stained with tears, and watched Jax and Tara whisper for a minute before Jax turned on his heel and started toward them.

"Jax?" Tara called out.

"Jackson?" Gemma asked, knowing he should go see his son and not where she had a feeling he was going to go.

"Go with Tara. Both of you. I got something to do." Jax said, motioning for her and Savannah to follow the doctor.

Clay released his step-daughter, turning to look in the direction Jax was going. He had a feeling he knew exactly where Jax was going. Glancing between Bobby and Chibs, he motioned for them to go. "Watch his back." He said before he pushed Savannah on, his hand on the small of her back as he moved her along to join Gemma. Bobby and Chibs both nodded before going after their vice president.

#&^%*&^*

After checking in on Abel, Savannah head back to the clubhouse with Clay. She couldn't stay in the hospital and do nothing. She'd just go stir crazy pacing the hall. Chibs and Bobby came in later after taking care of something with her brother. Where he went after that, she didn't know, but she had a good idea it was to go see Opie. He was his go-to person, and she knew he'd be the first person Jax wanted to talk to so he could clear his head.

She did her best to avoid Juice, not wanting to give him a chance to speak to her. She wasn't going to go there with him, and she didn't trust herself to stick to her everything going on, she just wanted to be told it'd be okay, and she knew Juice would do just that if she gave him the chance. She knew it'd just lead from one thing to another from there and she couldn't have that happen.

While the boys were in the chapel for church, she and Half Sack were left alone in the clubhouse. She should have gone home, unpacked some more, but the procrastinator in her convinced her to stay behind for a game of pool against one of the hang arounds. Half Sack went to tending the bar, no doubt getting ready for the beers he knew he'd be pulling once church let out.

She was trying to keep her mind off of the baby with the game of pool she was currently playing, but her heart just wasn't it in. It didn't help every now and then as a scent hit her and she'd feel the need to gag. She thought about asking Half Sack about it, but he didn't seem to notice it. Maybe it was just her.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the chapel doors opened, meaning the meeting was over and it was now time for drinks. Half Sack was learning, he had already gotten one ready to go for Clay. Her eyes found Juice's and her heart sped up when he locked gazes with her. It was a jerk reaction with him, she thought. She refused to believe anything else. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck to her cheeks and she hurried to look away.

Grinning to himself, he looked down before taking a swig of his beer. Everyone had gone on to doing their own thing. Maybe they weren't as much of a lost cause as he originally assumed they were. He just had to keep trying. He couldn't give up on her, he knew she wouldn't if roles were reversed.

Savannah looked up from her game to see Clay and Bobby coming over, trying to sniff out the mystery odor she'd thought she smelled before. She'd brushed it off as nothing, but maybe she wasn't crazy after all? She only spared Juice and Chibs a glance when they wondered over to see what they found.

"What's going on over there?" Juice whispered, leaning closer to her as he did.

Her body tensed when he moved closer. She wasn't sure how to react toward him. Her body wanted one thing while her head wanted another. She knew she shouldn't talk to him, give him any encouragement to make a habit out of talking to her, but it was hard to do that with Juice. It always had been. "I'm not sure." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

She didn't give him another chance to speak before she moved to her brother's side and gave him a confused look as Bobby and Clay pulled a big box out from under the pool table. "Don't suppose you know what's going on?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the strange sight.

"Nope." Jax said with a shrug of his shoulders.

They all watched on as Bobby set the box up straight and opened it. A foul stench hit them as he turned his head away from it for a moment before digging inside. He lifted up the dead deer's head from the box, erupting gags from everyone close by. "Holy shit!" Savannah exclaimed as she covered her mouth with one hand and held her stomach with the other. Juice couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. Savannah, on the other hand, felt like she was suddenly going to be sick.

"That's mine!" Half Sack called out as he squeezed between Clay and Jax to get to Bobby and the deer head.

"Are you out of your god damn mind?" Bobby asked, disgusted as he held the head out at arms length. He didn't want it anywhere near him. It was bad enough that he had to hold the fucking thing.

Half Sack took it from him once he was close enough. How he could stand to be that close to that thing, Savannah didn't know. "No, I just . . . you know, I thought, uh . . ." he started to say, but his nerves got the best of him.

Savannah just shook her head as she left the little group. She couldn't stand to be near that head any longer or else she really was going to be sick. "It was a surprise. We could mount it in the club, you know, like on a . . on the wall." he went on to explain. Savannah couldn't help but shake her head as she bit back her laughter. She knew the kid was good with cars, but he was as socially smart as Juice was, maybe even worse than that now that she thought about it.

"It's got to be stuffed and cleaned, you idiot." Jax said as if it was common knowledge.

"I know, I just . . ." Half Sack started to say, but paused when he realized that he wasn't doing himself any good. "Stuffed with what?" He asked, causing the entire bar to erupt in laughter.

Savannah rolled her eyes at them all. She actually felt bad for the guy, as if being a prospect wasn't hard enough for him. "Leave the poor guy alone, will you? Not like none of you haven't done anything stupider before." She spoke out, her eyes pointed directly at Juice just long enough for him to shift uncomfortably before her gaze shifted to the others.

The laughter died down briefly before things went back to how they were before. Looking around the room, Savannah knew this was what she missed most while she was gone. The teasing and just brotherly love between these men. As much fun as Europe was, she wouldn't want to be anywhere but here. Charming was the place she belonged, but it was the club that was her home. She'd finally come home, and she wasn't leaving again.


	3. Back To Familiar Embraces

_Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are great! There's a little more Juice in this one. I'm almost half way done with writing Season 1 and can't wait to get to season 2 cause well, you'll all see! lol Thanks to Love Ink for putting up with all my questions and running stuff by her! She's been a great help and if you haven't checked out her Juice/OC story Hands All Over, you're living under a rock and need to go check it out! lol I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my oc, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 3_

 _#$%^$ &^#%^_

Savannah spent the morning with her ma at Saint Thomas with Abel. He was so damn small, it broke her heart, but he was a fighter. He had the Teller genes. All of them, fighters. Her dad got hit by a semi and still lived two more days. Jax survived being shot at, the family flaw himself, and countless other things. She had survived getting hit by a car head on, left for dead by it's driver. Hell, her ma survived more things than she could count. It was hard to kill a Teller, and they wouldn't go down without a fight. Abel would be no different.

Luanne, Otto's old lady, had joined them when Abel went in to have his belly fixed. She was there to support her ma like always. Wherever Gemma was, Luanne was close behind her. She and Gemma were best friends since the beginning. Savannah wished she had that kind of friendship. Someone to lean on, someone to trust. It was hard to do that in a town where every girl either looked down at you for being biker trash, or only befriended you to get to a club party.

The two old ladies were sitting, waiting for news. Savannah was standing, not being able to sit, and ended up looking out the window instead. This wasn't right. A baby, not even a full day old yet, shouldn't have to fight for his life. How could Wendy be so careless? Was a two minute rush really worth the life of your baby? Savannah couldn't possibly see how.

Her mind went back to New York, when she'd had her own pregnancy scare. She'd thought she'd been pregnant, hell for a while there she really thought she was. The thing she was most scared about was doing it alone without Juice, but this . . . this was worse. The thought of her baby fighting for it's life because of something _she_ did, it would kill her. She could only imagine how Wendy would feel when she woke up. Then again, she should suffer for what she did to little Abel. She should trade places with him and suffer through the pain that baby was.

Savannah's head raised at the sound of Tara's voice. Glancing back, she saw her approaching Gemma and Luanne and she headed over to them. Tara gave her a sad smile, reaching over and squeezing her arm. As strained as their friendship was because of what happened, Tara still loved the Teller family. Jax and Savannah at least anyway. She hated to see them going through this mess. "Abel's stomach surgery went well, but it's putting a strain on his system. Dr. Namid doesn't want to wait. Thinks we should do the heart surgery now." She explained to the women.

Savannah reached over and squeezed her ma's hand. She could see she wasn't the only one afraid for this baby. Jax should be here, but of course he wasn't. He was at the damn clubhouse doing god knows what. What could be more important than supporting his kid, she wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to focus on that now. Abel needed positive thoughts, prayers, anything that could help him. "That's good, right? That they're not waiting?" Luanne asked, her hand rubbing Savannah's back to show her support.

"It's the best choice, yes." Tara said, looking between the three women.

"Thanks." Gemma said, though you would think she was pulling her nails out to get it out.

It was no secret Gemma hated Tara. She didn't trust her like she hadn't trusted Juice when he came to Charming. It was the only thing the doctor and biker had in common. They both hurt her kids, broke their hearts like no one else could, and she didn't want to see it happen again. Tara was a damn good doctor though, and if she knew anything, she knew the doctor would do anything to help Jax's kid.

With a nod of her head, Gemma turned to leave with Savannah and Luanne following. "Can we talk?" Tara asked before she lost her nerve.

Gemma glanced at Savannah, wondering why the doctor was trying to talk to her instead of her old friend. If she was going to try and make peace with anyone, she had a better chance of doing that with Savannah than her. Handing Luanne her purse, she nodded and walked a few feet away with the good doctor.

Savannah crossed her arm, eyeing the pair with wary. She knew this wasn't going to end well the second Tara asked to talk to Gemma. Those two were like salt and vinegar. A bad combination all around. Gemma hated Tara for almost taking Jax away from her, and for breaking his heart when she left without him. She didn't trust her not to try it again.

She was curious if Gemma thought the same about Juice. Juice opened her eyes to the world, showed her she could have a life that didn't involve being an old lady and being stuck in Charming. He was the reason she studied abroad, it was his money that funded that experience. Savannah wondered if letting Juice join their Charming family was Gemma's way of making sure he didn't convince her to leave again. If she and Juice somehow rekindled their romance, which didn't seem possible right now, would he convince her to leave again? If he had a home here, a _family_ , she knew he wouldn't, and that was exactly what her ma wanted.

Her attention snapped to the pair down the hall. She cringed seeing Gemma lift the back of Tara's shirt, revealing the crow she'd gotten years ago for her brother. She still had it. Her mind went to her own back. A similar tattoo was still there, showing who she belonged to. She'd never gotten it removed. It was faded, sure, but she left it as it was. The juice box with the Cheshire grin was a reminder to her, as she was sure the crow was to Tara.

Gemma came back, grabbing her purse from her friend without stopping as she continued on past them. Luanne was quick to follow her. Savannah paused, meeting Tara's gaze. She knew that look well enough. The memories still haunted her. Her heart betrayed her, still beating for a man she didn't want to still loved. Yeah, she knew that feeling good and well. With a sigh, she raised her hand half heartedly before following after her mother and Luanne.

! #%$^&*^#%

Savannah returned to the garage to get in some work while she could. She knew most of the guys were going to be out today, so that meant extra work for the mechanics that were left. She knew she didn't have to work, not with everything going on, but it'd keep her mind off things. She was heading toward the garage when she noticed Juice at his bike. He was heading out, a grim expression on his face.

She could just walk right past him, pay him no mind and say nothing to him. That was what she should do. She should just keep walking and ignore him. Did she do that? _No_. Instead she stopped at his bike and cleared her throat to get his attention. He'd been staring at his helmet, lost in thought. His head snapped up upon hearing her though. "Oh, uh, hey. You just get back from the hospital?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

He wasn't anymore sure how to act around her than she was with him. They'd been broken up almost as long as Tara and Jax were, but things were just as weird for them as they were for them too. While Jax saw Tara coming back into his life as a sign he could rewrite history, start over with her, Savannah didn't want to let him back in. He'd hurt her once, she wasn't about to let him do it again.

They had to work together though, had to put up with the fact Gemma would invite him to family dinners and he'd be at the same parties she would. They'd been just friends before, they could do it again. "Um, yeah. Abel's out of surgery for his tummy, but they, uh, they want to operate on his heart soon. I needed some air, figured I'd get some work in. Don't suppose you can tell me what's going on?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifted from one foot to the other.

Clearing his throat, he shook his head. She'd figured as much, but it was worth a shot. The two stood there awkwardly for a minute before he cleared his throat again. "Um, hey. You know it's gonna be alright, Sav. It is. Abel's gonna be fine, he's gonna pull through." He said, knowing she needed to hear it. He knew she had to be crumbling up inside over this.

Savannah felt her shell crack a little. She'd been trying to be strong for her brother, show her mom she could handle this like she was, but it was hard. In this family, it was a weakness to show emotions. To be queen, she had to be able to control her emotions and be strong for the men, but it was harder said than done.

Juice could see the confliction on her face, the pain she was trying to lock away. He reached over and pulled her to him without thinking. It was just a jerk reaction for him, even after all these years. She said nothing as she held onto him, just taking comfort in his arms being around her. "We're makin' this right, Sav. It's gonna be fine. Abel's gonna pull through, I know it." He whispered into her hair.

She said nothing, just held onto him as long as she could. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it helped having him hold her. It was familiar, it was calming. He knew just what to say like he always did. This shouldn't be comfortable though. Comfortable left doors open, and gave him hope that wasn't there. She wasn't about to fall back into his arms as if nothing happened back in New York. She couldn't just forgive him like Jax had Tara. She couldn't let him back in.

Pulling herself free from his embrace, she wiped her eyes and refused to meet his concerned gaze. He looked hurt, not wanting it to end so soon, but he knew it was too good to last. It wasn't going to be that easy to win her back. Clearing his throat, he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, Bobby and Half Sack are about to head to Tahoe. Bobby's got an Elvis gig. Why don't you go with them?" He suggested, knowing a few hours away would do her some good. She'd be able to breath and relax, get away from the current mess in her life.

Glancing back, she noticed Bobby and Half Sack heading over. Half Sack was carrying a large duffel bag, no doubt full of Bobby's shit. As much as she hated to say it, maybe Juice was right this time. It wouldn't hurt to get away from all this crazy shit for a night or two. "Yeah, maybe you're right." She said, glancing over to them again. Juice grinned, stuffing his hands in his pocket with a pleased smile. "Don't let that get to your head." She said, nudging him with her elbow before she turned to leave.

She paused, biting her lips before she turned back to him. "Hey, Jay-Juice? Thanks."

He looked surprised, but nodded and smiled again. Giving her a mock salute, he mounted his bike and took off. It'd be strange, getting use to her calling him Juice. Everyone else called him that, but she'd always called him JC and it was weird hearing his nickname come from her. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but maybe they both just had to get use to it. He wasn't JC anymore, he wasn't Juan Carlos. He was just Juice now, and she'd have to figure out exactly who that was on her own.

%^%&(*&)&^*&%

As Juice suggested, Savannah tagged along with Bobby and Half Sack to Tahoe so she could get away from the craziness of Abel's birth and Juice being, not only in Charming, but Samcro to make it worse. She was almost excited to see Bobby preform, it'd been a long time since she'd last seen him all dressed up as the king of rock. Of course when they showed up, they didn't expect to find some other guy already testing the microphone in an Elvis suit. "Bobby, jesus, what are you doing here?" A voice said out from behind them.

She knew that Bobby was pissed off, though. She was a little bit upset too, because honestly, she was looking forward to seeing him sing after the rough past 24 hours. Some Bobby Elvis was just what she needed. They all turned to see an older man walking their way now. "Simon, what the hell is that? I'm booked. Tonight, tomorrow, five shows." Bobby said over to the man as they met him halfway.

"I got a new girl in booking. Dumb bitch doubled up my acts." The guy tried to explained.

Savannah looked back at the Asian man on the stage still going through mic check with the people behind the stage. He looked like such a creep. She looked up at Half Sack and saw that he didn't look like he liked the Asian man any better than she did. He looked like a pompous ass, and she was sure he was. "Well, god dammit, Simon." Bobby snapped. He needed this jig tonight, especially since he'd already used the checks to pay his ex wives back.

Half Sack knew this was bullshit as much as the next guy. The only reason they were here was because Bobby needed the cash. "Just tell Chung King to take a hike." Half Sack spoke up, glancing between the three. Savannah nudged his side, knowing that it wasn't his place to speak up, even if he was right. She motioned for him to the side and the two left Bobby and Simon to figure out their own little problem they were having. They then returned to listening to the Asian Elvis. "Can you believe this guy, Savvy? Total joke." He whispered as they leaned against one of the tables.

Savannah settled herself up on the table and crossed her legs as she leaned back on the palms of her hands. Half Sack was right about one thing, this guy was a total joke. She was about to tell him as much, but she noticed that the man coming toward them. Her eyes narrowed as he stopped in front of them. "Cute girl ya got here, kid." He said his eyes shifting over to Half Sack before they shifted back to her. "How'd ya like a roll around these hips, sweetheart?" The man asked her in a bad Elvis accent as he twisted his hips around to further his point. Half Sack gritted his teeth, his fists clenched as he took a threatening step forward.

Savannah yanked him back and gave him a warning look, causing the man to laugh when he actually listened to her. Half Sack could take him, she knew that, but now wasn't the time, nor place, to prove that. "And tell ya pal better luck next time, bubba." The asian said as he motioned to Bobby still talking to actually had the balls to blow a quick kiss to Savannah then before he left them.

Half Sack moved to go after him again, but Savannah's grip on the back of his kutte just yanked him back again. They looked on as the man said something to Bobby as he passed by him before doing a quick Elvis move and leaving through the doors. The two returned to Bobby once Simon was gone and looked to see what he wanted to do now.

Bobby looked between them as an idea came to him. He moved to Savannah and held his hands over her ears like all the guys had use to do before when she was a kid and didn't want her to over hear something she shouldn't. She sighed and rolled her eyes at them in annoyance, but she still said nothing. "You feel like doing me a favor, prospect?" He asked the prospect. Half Sack was quick to nod his head, knowing that he had no other choice. "Good, now here's what you're going to do." He started to tell him as he moved himself and Savannah closer so they could whisper.

#%^$%^$%^$

Savannah was left alone in the room while Bobby went to go get suited up. The Asian Elvis suddenly got 'under the weather' and needed Bobby to fill in for him. Half Sack had 'mysteriously' disappeared into the back too. He hadn't returned yet, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Which, seemed to be worse than anything else. She was jittery mess now that she had a minute to herself to think.

Tonight was Abel's big surgery, and she knew that she should be there to support him, but she just couldn't. She couldn't stand anymore of the the waiting. She knew that if she had to pace that waiting room anymore, she'd be more of a mess than the baby was. She jumped a mile high as Half Sack took the spot on top of the booth beside her. "I can give you a ride to the hospital, if you want, Sav? I'm sure Bobby won't mind if I miss a few songs." he suggested as he noticed how jumpy she was.

Usually it was him who was the jumpy one. He hadn't known her long, but she was usually the calm one. "Nah, I'm good here, but thanks for the offer, Half Sack. I'd be more of a mess over there than I am here. I just want him to be okay, you know? I feel so guilty, like I should have been able to stop her from shooting up all those times if I was home. I was suppose to be there living with her, but instead I was off across the world on some beach." She said, her voice breaking knowing she off having fun while things were blowing up here.

Half Sack reached over and took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. She looked over at him in surprise before her look of surprised turned to a small smile. "There was nothing you could do, Savvy. You, uh, ya got to believe that." he said as he gave her hand another comforting squeeze. She returned his smile again and kissed the back of his hand before looking forward toward the stage. Bobby had come on and the lights dimmed down. She hadn't even noticed he was already singing.

Bobby was singing for a few minutes before he spotted something surprising. Savannah had scooted closer to Half Sack and wrapped the arm that she had been holding onto around her. She rested her head on his shoulder as she settled in beside him. He looked down at her in shock, clearly not expecting that. He looked back at Bobby with a terrified expression. What was he suppose to do now? Bobby shot him a wink from the stage. He took a deep breath as he got comfortable beside her now. This was alright, he could handle it.

Couldn't he?


	4. Back To Skeever Problems

_Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome! I love all the feedback! Big shout out to Love Ink for helping me so much with this story! If you haven't checked out her story Hands All Over, you definitely need to! Hope you especially like this chapter, Love Ink! lol I do not own anything in this chapter, besiders Sav, everything else belongs to their rightful owners!_

 _Chapter 4_

 _#$%^$% &$_

Savannah took the morning off to go stay with Abel. She felt bad for not being there to wait out his surgery. She heard about Wendy almost dying from shooting up, in her own hospital room no less, while Abel was in surgery. She honestly wasn't surprised by hearing that news, though she had a bad feeling her ma had a role in that. As long as she couldn't hurt her nephew again, she didn't give two shits about her and what happened to her.

She was standing outside of Abel's room, but she couldn't find it in herself to actually go in and sit beside the box he was being kept in to keep him alive. As good as it was for her to get away for a few hours, a part of her wished she had sucked it up and gone back to the hospital. Even if all she did was pace the halls. It would have meant he had someone there supporting him. Wiping her eyes, she smiled sadly at the baby. He was so tiny, it wasn't natural. He was a Teller, though. He was a fighter, and he had made it this far anyway. He wasn't going to die.

So why couldn't she go in and just sit with the kid?

Guilt, she supposed. She should have been here. Not just for the surgery, but before. The plan was for her to stay with Wendy when Jax wouldn't, but she hadn't done that. Instead she'd gone to Europe and lived a life she knew couldn't be hers. She let herself dream, and in result her nephew was fighting for his life. She knew it was silly for her to blame herself. Wendy was the one who shot up while being pregnant, but she couldn't help herself. She felt a hand touch her arm, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked over to see that it was just Tara. "Hey, you alright?" She asked, concern showing on her face

She wasn't sure what to say to this woman. On one hand they had been friends, and they were in similar situations, but on the other hand she broke her brother's heart. She didn't trust her not to do it again. It wasn't just Jax she hurt by leaving. They'd been friends once upon a time, and she hadn't even spared her a second glance before she left. "I'm fine, Tara. How is he doing?" She asked as she looked through the glass to see the baby.

Tara didn't look convinced, but didn't push it. Their friendship had taken a big hit when she left, and she was hoping to repair it. Savannah might have been a few years younger than her, but she was still one of the best friends she'd had. "He's going to make it. The heart surgery went over well, and he's stronger than ever now." She explained, hoping it would help ease her guilt.

Savannah nodded her head in understanding, that was what she was hoping to hear. Maybe now she won't feel so guilty? Tara seem to know what she was thinking as she placed her hand on top of her's. "He's going to be fine, Savannah. You can go in and see for yourself." She said, motioning for her to go inside. Savannah gave her a small smile, nodding her head before she took a deep breath and finally went inside.

Tara watched as Savannah cautiously approached the toaster Abel was inside of. She raised a shaking hand to the glass, her fingers just barely touching it. Her other hand covered her mouth, trying to hide the sob that had escaped her lips. It was heartbreaking to watch, but Tara knew Savannah would be a great aunt. She already loved that little boy, and that was a good place to start.

%$#%$#%^$

The small group of Jax, Juice, Chibs, and Half Sack walked into the garage together. They were on their way down to the cemetery, but they had to make a pit stop before they left. They paused when they spotted her shoes sticking out from under one of the cars. The four men all shared a look before going over to her. Juice and Half Sack leaned against the car on either side of her while Jax and Chibs stood in front of her. "I'm already behind on this stupid piece of junk car, Jax. I'm not taking anyone else at least until lunch." She said out, not needing to hear his voice to know it was him standing in front of her. All she needed to see was his shoes and she knew that it was him.

The four boys shared another look as they chuckled. Leave it to Savannah to know that her brother wanted something from her before he even started to say a word. "Lowell will take over for you today. Club needs your help with something." Jax said as he pocketed his hands in his jeans.

She didn't say anything, but they could tell from the now silence that she had stopped working on whatever it was that she was working on. Jax sighed, knowing that he would need to explain more to convince her to come with them. "It's nothing major, Sav. We just need you to work your . . . charming personality, on someone." He explained with a grin.

Another minute went by without an answer from her, and soon Jax became inpatient with her lack of answering him. He rolled his eyes and grabbed a hold of her ankles. With one firm tug, she came rolling out from underneath the car. A small gasp left her lips, only to be replaced with a look of annoyance when she saw that it was her brother who had pulled her out. "Seriously, Jax! I'm almost done with this thing!" She snapped.

Jax knew he shouldn't involve her, but if he was gonna make this work, he needed to make sure he had all his basis covered. If this blew up in his face, someone innocent was going to die and he didn't want that on his conscious. She huffed, knowing she would have to answer him whether she liked it or not. "What do I need to do and why can't Half Sack do it?" she asked as she looked between the three of them.

"That's a good girl, lassie." Chibs piped in with a low chuckle.

Savannah just ignored him with an eye roll. All she wanted to do was work after her visit to the hospital. She didn't want to talk to anyone, and this was usually her escape from the real world going on around her. Jax just had to invade that escape though. "What can we say, Sav? He can't pull off the bend and stretch as well as you can." Juice spoke up, flashing her a mischievous grin.

He knew it was gonna get him smacked, by multiple people, but the words left his mouth before he could stop himself. Her eyes narrowed on him, but at least she didn't hit him. He could live with that. He took the chance to reach out and help her up to her feet. She took a hold of his hand, a shock ran through them both from the touch. He lifted her up with one tug. When she pulled her hand away from his, he felt suddenly lost for a brief moment, like he had lost something when she left his reach.

She looked between the four of them and saw how serious they were about this. They really did need her help. What she could do for them, she wasn't sure, but if she was going off what Juice had said? She wasn't sure she was gonna like it. "Fine, but I'm not dressing up like a fuckin' porn star. I draw the line there." She said, her tone firm.

She'd flirt with whoever they needed her to, but that was where she stopped. She was not a whore to pass around like the sweet butts. Not that Jax would let her be one even if she wanted to be, but she could stand up for herself. She had more respect for herself than to let it come to that. None of them seemed to object to her terms, which was good. She rolled her eyes at them and tossed Half Sack her wrench. "I've got to go clean up before we go. Can't work my 'charm' if I'm covered in grease." She said, rolling her eyes as she wiped her hands off quickly with her rag before going to squeeze in a quick shower.

The boys watched her leave, Juice's gaze lingering a moment too long. "Cut the shit, Juice. Do not start something with her." Jax said, smacked the back of his head in warning.

Rubbing his head, he nodded in understanding. He wasn't to get too comfortable with Savannah on this outing. "I know, I know. Hands to myself." He grumbled, obviously not liking the rules Jax had set. It was the conditions of giving him a chance here. He couldn't make a move on Savannah after hurting her. They both knew the rules weren't meant to last, but he was trying to protect his sister.

Unfortunately, rules were meant to be bent.

#^%$%^$

The five of them left to go to the cemetery once Savannah was out of her shower and redressed. Savannah, Juice, and Half Sack led the way inside as the two boys pushed the doors opened. Savannah stood in between them as they all peeked their head inside, the awful stench of burning flesh hitting them head on. Her nosed crinkled up at the scent, asking her why she'd agreed to come along again. Oh, yeah, because she couldn't say no to her brother.

The three all shared a uncertain look together before looking around again. Savannah was the first to notice the man by the furnace. She mentally cringed in disgust upon seeing the man they were here to see. Skeeter had helped out the club a few times, but Savannah had only met him a couple of times. It was a few times too many if you asked her. He always gave her the creeps, this time being no different.

She looked back at her brother and Chibs with an ' _are you serious_?' look. "I hate you." She hissed at her brother.

"Love you too, sis. Now come on, go." He whispered back as he motioned for her to walk forward.

She rolled her eyes at him and looked forward again. Unlike what they had promised to get her to come, they had made her change into something more . . . _provocative_ , before actually coming over here. She managed to keep her work boots, but they had made her trade in the over sized mechanic shirt for a crop top that barely reached her belly button and tight ass ripped jeans she rarely ever wore. "They really cremate bodies here?" Half Sack asked out to the other guys behind him.

"Yeah, we do." Chibs piped in.

Savannah rolled her eyes as she moved forward, glancing around the rest of the room with little interest. She hated coming here, but it was probably the only time Jax ever included her in club business outside of the bar and the garage. "Hey, guys." The mortician said as he finished up with whatever, or rather whoever, he was currently burning. He seemed to lighten up with nervousness when he spotted Savannah, just like he always did when they brought her along. "Sa-Savannah, uh, um . . . hi. Um, wh-what's going on?" he said nervously before looking over at the guys.

"Need a favor, Skeeter." Jax said as he squeezed by Chibs and Juice as they shut the doors behind them.

"Should be Skeever." Savannah muttered to Half Sack beside her as they looked around while Chibs and Jax went over to Skeeter and Juice finished up with locking the doors behind them all.

Half Sack looked down at her in surprise, not expecting to hear her say that, at least out loud and where they could all hear her. "Christ, man. Now's not a good time." Skeeter said out.

Savannah rolled her eyes, laughing to herself, as she watched Half Sack swing on the chain hanging down above them. "Got a new supervisor crawling up my ass." He went on to explained as he tried to keep himself busy by moving back and forth around the room. Savannah kept clear out of his way, but the same couldn't be said about Half Sack since he was trying to get a peek inside of the furnace.

She shook her head when she saw Skeeter smack Half Sack off the back of the head to get him away from the burner. She rolled her eyes when she saw his shocked expression, clearly not seeing the need to hit him. "Relax. Not here to make a deposit." Jax said out as he leaned against the table on the other side of the room.

Savannah looked back at the doors to see that instead of coming more inside with her and the others, Juice had stayed put and was now standing guard in front of them all. She wondered where his head was, if he actually approved of this plan to use her as bait over Skeeter, or if he was against it. Their eyes met for a moment before movement caught his eye and his gaze shifted to Sketter's assistant.

Savannah hadn't noticed her before, but it was hard to believe when she actually looked at her now. Her hair was dark, long like hers had use to be. She had it pulled back into a braid. Her skin was a nice olive color, reminding her of Juice's skin tone. She was . . . well, she was pretty. If Juice's expression of interest was any indicator, she'd think he agreed on that thought. Her fists clenched, her eyes narrowing on the girl before she forced herself to look away.

Juice could fuck whoever he wanted. If that happened to be the pretty brunette who touched dead people for living, he could go for it. He wasn't hers to be jealous over anymore. Her stomach twisted when she noticed him going over to talk to her. She had to fight back the urge to make a comment. Crossing her arms, she forced herself to focus on the conversation going on between her brother and Jax.

"Actually, it's a withdrawal." Chibs spoke up as he pushed Half Sack back.

Savannah cringed, she could only imagine why they needed to take bodies. They hadn't actually told her what it was they needed from Skeeter, only that she was needed to help convince him to help them. "We need two bodies. Fresh." Jax explained, his eyes flickering to his sister. He wished that he could keep the details there, but some people were just not smart enough to know that.

"You serious?" He asked.

He looked around the group to see that none of them were laughing, or paying attention on Juice's part since he was too busy flirting with the brunette to notice. Savannah's eyes unwillingly glanced over when she heard the girl laugh at something Juice had said. He moved his hand to touch her hair, but she swatted it away. He just chuckled at whatever she said to him. He leaned his head leaned in as he whispered something, causing her to shake her head, crossing her arms as she gave him a smirk. The other men just rolled their eyes, but only Jax knew Juice had other intentions when he noticed the intelligence officer's eyes glance back to Savannah, as if trying to see her reaction. When his lip twitched into a grin, he knew he'd gotten the one he wanted.

"For what?" Skeeter asked, returning Jax from his thoughts.

Jax looked over to Savannah again, this time getting her attention. Her eyes quickly looked away from Juice to see her brother giving her that look that told her that it was up to her now to work her magic. She sighed and nodded. She gave one last look over to Juice, who still was talking to the assistant though she knew he still listening to them because his body had tensed up. She took a deep breath before heading over to the larger man. "Well, I could tell you, Skeeter," She paused, giving him a forced smile as she touched his chest. "but then I'd have to kill you." She whispered to him teasingly, giving him a wicked smile that often reminded the boys of Gemma.

The mortician laughed nervously as he looked down at her. She kept her grin on her regardless of the chill running down her spine. The fact that he was looking right down her shirt didn't slip past her either. She knew how to deal with this guy and how to work him, though, even if doing that made her sick to her stomach.

Juice clenched his fist, but forced a chuckle at whatever the girl had said to him. Unknowingly to Savannah, he was merely just distracting the girl while they conducted business. Of course, seeing her jealous was a bonus for him. It didn't make him feel any better knowing Savannah was playing a similar role. He didn't like it any better than Jax did. He hated like that she was involved in this, even if it got them what they wanted. "Two dead ones? That's-that's crazy shit, man." Skeeter laughed out nervously as he looked around the group of men before his eyes settled back down at Savannah. His eyes flickered down her frame again and his body tingled with a weird sensation that would have made her skin crawl if she knew.

Savannah looked back at her brother and held out her hand. He didn't hesitate on handing her the envelope. She gave him a quick look, one to which he simply rolled his eyes at, before turning back to Skeeter. "Sure you took a beating at Golden Gate this weekend, didn't you Skeet?" She said, pressing the package of cash against his chest. A knowing smile played on her lips as she looked up to meet his eyes. It was no news to her that Skeeter had a gambling problem, it wouldn't be the first time the club's paid off his dept to get him to do something for them.

Skeeter looked from her to the rest of the group with a panicked look. Not only did Savannah make him nervous, but the thought of gambling did as well. She couldn't tell which made him more nervous, though. "No, I stopped the ponies, man. I stopped it all. Gamblers anonymous three-three months now." He said panically as he looked between them. He seemed to be serious enough about it though, which honestly surprised them. Him turning down the money hadn't once occurred to them.

Savannah looked back at her brother with a panicked look of her own. Obviously she wasn't doing the trick here, and neither was the money. What in god's name was she suppose to do now? He didn't know what to tell her, though. He was as stumped as she was. "You're kidding. You don't want the money?" Jax asked in disbelief. He looked between the other three men, knowing that they were screwed now if they couldn't get the bodies.

"Working a program, you know?" Skeeter said before turning to get back to work, only sparing Savannah one last look as he turned away.

"Jesus christ." Jax cursed under his breath as Chibs shot him a look.

"There's something you might be able to get for me." He said out after a minute, gaining all of their attention again.

"What's that?" Jax asked, his eyes flickering to his sister with suspicion.

Skeeter paused in what he was doing and looked down at Savannah again. Her skin literally felt like crawling away from her when she saw the lustful look that he was giving her. "Savannah. Just one night." He said, though he knew it was long shot. It was no secret that Skeeter liked her, that was the only reason she was even here, but there was point to where her involvement ended and this was where the line stopped. Skeeter was dangerously standing on the edge of crossing it now.

Skeeter reached out to touch her when no one said anything at first, but she flinched and backed away. He took a step closer to her, but Jax stepped in front of him, giving him a warning look to back off. "Not going to happen. My sister's off limits." He snarled as he stood tall and unmoving in front of his sister. Jax wasn't the only one to tense up, ready to kill this guy if he took another step. Juice had been a second away from doing the same as Jax, but Savannah was quick to send him a warning look. Jax could handle this, they couldn't risk this going south before they could fix it. "Name someone else." Jax said, as if it was as easy as that.

Jax sent her a look behind him, motioning for her to wait outside for them. She didn't hesitate to do as she was told. She was all too happy to leave. Skeeter held out another minute before sighing, knowing that he wasn't going to get his first pick of who he wanted. It was worth a shot, he'd known that when he said it. "Emily Dunkin." was the last thing she heard as she left through the doors. She actually felt bad for who ever that poor girl was, but then realized that she was more relieved it wasn't her.

Juice's eyes followed her until she'd shut the door behind her, momentarily forgetting about the girl he'd been tasked with distracting. When she cleared her throat, he silently cursed himself before rubbing the back of his neck embarrassed. "Let me guess. Ex-girlfriend?" She said, her eyes flickering to the door behind them. Was he that obviously? "Just a tip, goof, but it's not smart to make it obvious you're trying to make her jealous in front of the girl you're using. Not attractive." She said, patting his chest before glancing back at Skeeter. "I'll get the crane ready to go and some shovels." She said over to her boss before heading out the direction Savannah had gone.

Juice's head dropped with a silent groan, rubbing the back of his neck before he turned his attention back to their deal with Skeeter. Chibs chuckled at his expense and patted his back. Today couldn't get any worse if he wanted it to.

Savannah rubbed her arms coldly as a fall breeze hit her. Obviously not remembering to bring a jacket had been a mistake on her part. The brunette had offered to grab her something, but she'd turned her down. Her pride got the best of her. It wasn't long before she heard the doors opening again and Juice, Half Sack, and Chibs came out, Jax following out a few seconds later.

She rubbed her arms, trying to create some warmth for herself. Juice didn't miss the action and slipped off his kutte before unzipping his jacket and tossing it to her. She caught it without a fumble. "You're going to freeze if you don't cover up, Sav." He said as he shrugged his kutte back on over his black shirt.

It was obvious to her as she slipped the sweatshirt on over her head that Juice was only trying to be nice. It was jerk reaction for him like it'd be for her if their roles were reversed. It an old habit to take care of each other. As annoyed as she was he'd been flirting with that assistant, she knew she had no right to be jealous. He wasn't hers anymore than she was his. They were gonna try this friends thing though, so this was a good place to start. "Thanks, Juice." She said softly as snuggled into the jacket.

Rubbing the back of his neck, his megawatt smile spreading across his face. "No problem, Savvy." He said, adjusting his kutte as he tried to hide how big his smile got. He didn't need the others teasing him anymore than he knew they were going to over the assistant. He was making progress with Savannah, that was all that matter. Today was definitely starting to look up, at least for him. Glancing back, he noticed Half Sack with a grimace and a shovel in his hand.

Maybe not everyone's day was looking up.


	5. Back To Blurred Lines

_Thanks for all the reviews! You guys definitely keep the muse going! I hope no one kills me for this chapter! Reviews are always welcome! PS Just so everyone's aware Skeet's assistant was just a little shout out camero. She won't be making anymore, if only one or two, more appearances. I'm glad you guys liked the cameo though. Definitely go check out Love Ink's story Hands All Over to see the better original version of Skeet's assistant It's an awesome Juice/OC story! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides Sav, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 5_

 _#$%^$^$ &_

To pass the time until they had to go back and check on Half Sack, Juice and Savannah had decided to pass the time together. Unfortunately, not the way Juice would have liked them to. Instead, the two were working in the garage on a bike together. Seeing them work together like this, it tugged on Juice's heart. This was the future he'd wanted.

He use to pass the time by imagining how their life would be if he hadn't screwed up. Sav would have graduated, they would have found a real apartment. They'd work with the Perellis' until he could get a shop of his own. It'd be theirs. Eventually he'd ask her to marry him, he had no doubt about that. She was it for him. She still was the only girl he wanted after all this time.

Some days, when it was really bad, he'd pretend he was in their home. He'd come home and find her rocking their baby to sleep. She'd be wearing his shirt and she'd give him that smile that he loved so much. He'd be covered in grease after a long day at the garage, but it'd be worth it cause she'd put the baby down for a nap and join him in the shower. He grinned at the fantasy, his eyes flickering over to the girl who seemed to take a place in most of his thoughts.

"You're staring." Savannah muttered, her attention never leaving the part she was working on.

He chuckled, not surprised in the least. She always had eyes in the back of her head. She always caught him when he'd stare. "I'm just admiring the handy work." He teased before he reached over and tucked a fallen curl behind her ear.

Her body tingled at the touch. Like earlier when he'd given her the sweatshirt she was still wearing, her heart sped up. His touch was familiar, it was comforting. She'd missed it over the past couple of years. "I had a good teacher, I guess." She said, not daring to look up at him. It would give him the wrong message. He'd take it as an invitation to make a move on her, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to turn him away if he did.

"Always knew I was a good teacher." He chuckled, grinning from ear to ear.

She couldn't hold back the laugh, finally turning her head to look at him. This had never been hard with Juice, just joking around like they were. This was the easy part for them. It was trust that seemed to be their problem. Juice didn't trust her to be able to handle the truth, and she didn't trust him with her heart. Not a second time, at least. "Teachers suck, Juice. I'm more of biker kind of girl." She said back, sparing him a smirk before she turned back to her task.

Juice chuckled, nodding as he watched her work. He lean over her, holding onto the wrench while she tightened the bolt with the other torque wrench. "Well, you know how much I love to ride, baby." He chuckled, his breath hitting her exposed neck. He felt his cock twitch when her ass rubbed against him unintentionally.

Her body was just reacting to his familiar touch. It wasn't helping that his hand was on her hip to balance himself. The touch was completely innocent, but she knew better. He was doing it to hold her closer to him. Turning her head, her breath caught, her lips parting as a gasp slipped through them. She hadn't realized how close he was. "Juice, this is a bad idea." She said softly, her eyes flickering between his brown ones and his lips.

As if he was trying to kill her self-control, which she was pretty sure he was, his tongue poked out between his lips, darting from one side to the other. His eyes were drilling into her, his hand on her hip squeezing her flesh. "Why are you callin' me Juice now?" He asked, his head leaning in closer.

If it wasn't before, she knew her heart was beating against her rib cage now. It felt like it was anyway. "I can't . . . there's too much history with that name. Juice is just easier." She said, a new found sadness in her voice.

Shifting around, she turned so her back was to the car. Juice took advantage of the movement and moved to stand between her legs. It wasn't the most comfortable since the hood was still up on the car, but neither seemed to care as he hovered over her. His hand was still on her hip, holding her to him as his other hand cupped her face. His thumb stroked her cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. "History's not gonna change, Sav. You and me, we were good together." He said, pressing his lips against her hesitantly.

She didn't move to kiss him back, but she didn't push him away either. He lingered for a moment longer before pulling back slightly. "When? When were we good? Our entire relationship was built on lies. Not just yours, but mine too. About my family, this life, th-the baby. You lied about Mel, your job, the mob. It was never _good_ , Juice. _We_ were never good." She said, her eyes never leaving his.

She placed her hand over the one he had on her cheek, tears threatening to fall. She hadn't cried for her broken relationship with him in years, but they never had this moment. They never had a real goodbye.

Juice shook his head, squeezing her hip gently. He refused to believe that. She was just looking at the bad, not all the good that came from the relationship. "Sav, we were good. We _were_. I know a lot of shit happened, but it wasn't all bad. I loved you and you loved me. We were gonna have a future together." He said, his voice raising just slightly.

Savannah just shook her head, knowing he was wrong. There never was a future for them. That, too, had been a lie on her part. They were kidding themselves back then. "Juice, we never had a future. The white picket fence, kids, a house in New York, none of that was ever going to happen. My life was always going to be here. It was never suppose to be there with you." She said, pulling free from his hold and putting some space in between them.

She knew it was harsh, but it was true. Deep down she knew he knew that too. Juice shook the sting from her words off, his eyes narrowing on her. She was just trying to push him away, and he wouldn't let her do it so easily. "That's bullshit and you know it." He said as he reached for her.

He grabbed hold of her hand, tugging her back to him. She stumbled into his arms, giving him an advantage. He cupped her face and kissed her with everything he had. Her hands pushed at him, but he didn't budge. His hand dropped from her face, pulling her flat against her as he deepened the kiss. He could feel her giving into him. Her body curved into him, her arms no longer hitting him as they wrapped themselves around him instead.

Walking forward, he backed her into the closest wall, trapping her in his arms. Grabbing her wrists, he raised them above her head as he let his other hand slip down her frame. His fingers squeezed around her ass, causing her to gasp. Taking advantage, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Their mouths battled for control, neither backing down to let the other have it.

He grinded his hip into her, gaining a moan. He grinned, his mouth leaving hers as it traveled down to side of her neck. Her breathing hitched, her body squirming with desire. She was trapped, and he was loving every moment of it. It felt like every dream, every thought they'd had of the other over the years was hitting them. Their bodies were doing all the thinking, their minds lost in the lust.

"JC, please." Slipped out from her lips, her eyes closed as her head fell back.

The sound of his name, her name for him, coming from her lips for the first time in six years was the last thread of control he had. He needed to have her, needed to be inside of her before he lost his mind. The fact they were still in the garage didn't cross their minds, nor the fact someone could come in at any second to tell them it was time to go.

Letting her arms go, he roughly grabbed her hips and turned her around. Her hands slapped against the cold wall, catching herself from the suddenly turn. He pushed her hair off her neck, his mouth returning to his earlier attack on her skin. A moan left her lips when she felt his bite, her fingers curling against the wall. His free hand slipped down the front of her jeans, pushing past her panties with no trouble.

She had to bite her lip hard to keep from getting any louder once his fingers got to their destination. Her head fall back onto his shoulder, her hips rocking with the motioning of his fingers. His other hand worked on getting his belt undone, his fingers shaking with urgency. He wanted . . . no, _needed_ to be inside of her. "Fuck. Fuck, I fuckin' hate this stupid _fuckin'_ belt." He snarled, struggling to get it undone.

Her laughter filled the empty garage. She twisted around, placing her hand on his cheek to get his attention. "Relax. It's okay." She said, kissing him deeply.

Finally getting the belt undone, he was about to let his pants fall when a throat cleared behind them. Both froze, his head dropping onto her back. "Shit. You gotta be fucking kidding me." He cursed under his breath, holding his jeans up with his hand as he moved away from Savannah. Whoever it was couldn't wait ten, fifteen, minutes later? The world really must hate him. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Sorry, kiddies, but we're trying to run a business here. Take that shit somewhere else." Gemma spoke, crossing her arms as she leaned against the open door.

Savannah seemed to come to her senses as she fixed her jeans, buttoning them closed again as she put the much needed space between them. Juice groaned, dropping his head in frustration before he sighed and rebuckled his belt he'd just struggled to get undone. "Sav, I-"

"Save it, Juice. That is _never_ happening again. I-I'm gonna go find Jax and see when we can head back." Savannah said, refusing to meet his eyes again.

He wasn't sure what more he could say. If he had just gotten the damn thing off faster, or if Gemma hadn't interrupted at all, they'd be in the middle of some needed, long awaited, fucking hot sex. His cock ached at the reminder of what they'd been about to do. His eyes shifted to Gemma, who just raised a brow at him. It was as if she was daring him to say something. Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck looking around. "I'm gonna take a shower before we go." He said, pulling up the door to the garage. "A fucking cold one." He muttered, not daring another look at the younger Teller as he headed toward the clubhouse.

Once he was gone, Savannah focused on fixing her hair. She was trying to ignore the burning gaze her mother had on her, but it was easier said then done. "I don't want to hear it." She said, adjusting the sweatshirt on her shoulder. _His_ sweatshirt.

Gemma held her hands up in peace as she pushed off the door and closed the space in between them. She reached up and tucked a loose curl behind her daughter's ear before stroking her cheek. "I shouldn't be surprised. That doctor bitch has been giving Jax the same look that idiot gives you. At least he had the balls to act on it." She said, sighing before she dropped her hand from Savannah's face.

"He's not an idiot." She said, a jerk reaction she hadn't been able to shake.

Juice wasn't the brightest when it came to certain situations, but he was one of the smartest people she knew. She'd gotten use to defending him. Obviously that knee jerk reaction to protect him hadn't died when he left her. Gemma crossed her arms, raising a brow at her. She didn't miss the protective expression on Savannah's face. She had the same one when it came to Savannah and her boys. She'd protect them with her last breath, no matter the cost.

"Right. So what are you gonna do about it? Hop back into bed with the Puerto Rican and have little brown babies, or you gonna walk away?" She asked, not beading around the bush with her daughter.

Savannah felt her body tense at the mention of babies with Juice. It wasn't that long ago when that had almost been a reality. Wiping her hands with a rag, she looked at herself in the mirror. Was she really looking to jump back into things with Juice? Could she let him back in and risk her heart? He was Samcro now, they could have a future. She'd be his old lady and they'd have kids down the road, maybe even get married.

Or maybe it was just lust. It'd been years since they were together and they were familiar to the other. Obviously the attraction was still there. Sex had never been an issue with them. It was the one time they didn't have a problem. They could relax and have fun. Given what just almost happened, she knew they wouldn't have a problem there.

The idea of long term scared her though. Especially when Juice already hurt her once. She didn't trust him not to hurt her again. She didn't trust him to let her in when it came to secrets and the club. To be an old lady, the man had to either tell her everything or nothing at all. She wasn't raised to be a girl who couldn't handle it. The secrets and lies would tear them apart. She wasn't going to put herself through that again.

"I'm gonna have to walk away." She said sadly, her eyes only glancing at her mother for a quick moment before looking away.

She didn't want her to see how much that hurt to say. Glancing into the mirror again, she hated the sight that was looking back at her. Her hair was a mess, clearing showing signs of someone running their fingers through it. She could already see a couple hickeys darkening on her neck. Her lips were bruises, clearly having been kissed throughrolly. Juice hadn't been gentle, and she'd loved every minute of it.

Clearing her throat, she tried to fix the mess that was her hair as best she could. "I'm gonna go clean up."

Gemma smirked, nodding her head. "Don't get lost."

Savannah knew that was her way of telling her not to go seek out Juice and finish what they'd started in here. As badly as her body wished she'd do just that, her head could actually think now that Juice wasn't there. She shouldn't have kissed him back. She should have pushed him away before it even got to that point. She was having fun just talking to him though and she hadn't wanted to. If she was being totally honest with herself, she hadn't wanted to stop kissing him either.

She'd just have to get over it.

#%$#^$%#^$

After their showered, _separate_ showers, the foursome headed back to the cemetery to check on how Half Sack was doing. They'd made a pit stop to 'borrow' Darby's truck. Savannah would have laughed if they didn't leave her alone with Juice in the crap car they left in. She knew it was because they wanted her involved as minimum as possible, but being stuck in a car with Juice after what happened was not what she considered 'walking away'.

Obviously just being friends wasn't gonna work. As much as she wanted it to. Juice wasn't a bad guy. He was funny, he was kind, he was sweet, and not to mention he was loyal. She missed having him in her life, and she honestly couldn't picture a life without him in it someway, but she knew it couldn't be romantically. She couldn't go there again. "Hey, uh, we're gonna go grab Sack and the bodies. Stay here." He said, his voice almost sad.

She couldn't help but notice his eyes wouldn't meet hers. She knew it wasn't fair of her, but she reached out her hand anyway and grabbed his before he could leave. "Juice, wait. Look, about earlier . . . that can't happen again. I can't . . . be there with you, but . . . but can we just be friends?" She asked, pleading for him to agree even though he had every right not to.

He looked like he wanted to scoff and laugh in her face. Yeah, just friends would work so well for them like it had the first time. He was about to tell her that exact thought when he realized something. They'd done this dance before. They tried being just friends, and eventually they became more. Maybe it'd happen again. Giving her his best forced smile, he nodded his head.

"Sure."

She looked relieved and his expression softened before he cleared his throat, squeezing her hand before leaving. Savannah hesitated, watching him shut the door before walking off to meet Jax and Chibs. Jax sent a wave over to her, to which she returned half heartedly before she settled back into her seat. She sat in the car for a good half hour before they got the bodies loaded into Darby's truck.

Juice climbed into the driver's seat while Half Sack climbed into the back. Savannah and Juice shared a look but neither said anything as they strapped themselves in. "Hey, Sav." Half Sack said, sending her a friendly smile as he settled in his seat and buckled up.

"Hey, Sack. You coming to my ma's dinner tonight?" She asked back, her eyes only glancing to Juice for a brief second to see him already looking at her.

She already knew he was coming, all the patched members came unless they had a valid reason not to. She knew if she didn't talk to Half Sack though, the car ride would be extremely awkward and silent. If Half Sack hadn't noticed the tension already, she'd be surprised. He made no comment of it if he did though, for which she was grateful. "Uh, yeah. Jax invited me earlier. Are you . . . I mean, uh, are you gonna be there?" He asked, rubbing his neck nervously.

Juice rolled his eyes. It was no mystery that the prospect liked Savannah. She was hot, he'd be surprised if he didn't. It didn't mean he liked him making a move on her. "It's at her house, dumbass. Of course she's gonna be there." He said, gripping the steering wheel tight enough his knuckles turned white.

Half Sack turned red, clearly not realizing his mistake until after he'd said it. Savannah shot Juice a look to cut it out, but he ignored her and started driving. Reaching back, she squeezed Half Sack's knee and gave him a small smile. "It's fine. Yeah, I'll be there." She said, trying to ease his embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, that-that's great." He stuttered out, rubbing the back of his neck with a shy smile.

Glancing at Juice out of the corner of her eye, she could see Juice had just gotten more upset with her trying to ease the tension. Sitting back in her seat, she settled for looking out the window instead. Yeah, this was gonna be a long car ride. That's for sure.

! #$%^&

Savannah was stuck in the car with Half Sack and Juice for a good half hour now, and it seemed to be so much longer than that. The tension had disappeared after a few silent minutes before the boys started talking. She was trying to tune out their conversation by staring out the window, but it was hard not to listen when it was about how Half Sack really lost his other ball. "Dude, look, I tell them I lost it in the battle, all they want to do it is wrap their patriotic lips around it." He said with a chuckle, leaning his arms on the back of their seats as he poked his head in between them.

She couldn't help but think of the similar line he'd told her when she'd originally asked what happened to him.

Scoffing, she just rolled her eyes. She had to wonder if he was telling the truth about that, or if it had just been the story he'd decided to tell everyone. Her attention was pulled from her side of the road to see as two sport cars cut around them, their engines revving up as the two idiots made kissing faces at her when they spotted her in the car.

She rolled her eyes again and looked away from the other side of the road. Juice just gritted his teeth together, having seen it as well. He settled for just flipping them off as they drove past them. What really pissed them all off, though, was they the second car almost ran Jax and Chibs off the road when they swerved back into their lane. The three shared a look, this ride couldn't be over soon enough, and they had a feeling things were only going to get worse.

As they drive went on, the conversation only got stupider. If that was possible.

"You're an idiot. It's not gay. I've been shaving my shit for years." Juice said, glancing over at Savannah before looking at Half Sack through the mirror.

"Unfortunately, I can vouch for that. He does." Savannah piped in, glancing back at Half Sack, who looked surprised. "Big turn on, at least for me. Sorry, Sack."

She knew Jax and the others already knew about her and Juice's past, she wasn't going to hide it. She wasn't ashamed of him, he wasn't going to be her secret. She wasn't going to willingly tell anyone either though. "You two were together?" He asked, looked between the two almost hurt. He felt like an even bigger idiot for trying to hit on Savannah.

Juice glanced at her quickly, not sure how much she wanted people to know about their past relationship, if anything. She shrugged her shoulder, turning her head back to the window. He had to tell him something. "Long time ago." He said, his eyes flickering to her quickly before looking back at the road. Silence fell over them for a long few minutes.

"It's still gay." Half Sack said, breaking the silence.

Rolling her eyes, she gave up on listening to them all together and closed her eyes so she could try and take a nap. Course, she would never get the chance to do so with those two not shutting up long enough to let her even close her eyes. She sat up in her seat when a cop coming toward them caught her eye sight. "Aw, shit." she said out, catching their attention as well. As the cop passed by them, they waited on baited breath to see if it would keep going of not.

It didn't.

Juice slowed down the car, not knowing what else to do. The cop kept going, meaning that it was going after Chibs and Jax. Who currently had the two dead bodies in the trunk of their truck. The cop must have seen the smashed front end of the SUV from when those bozos cut them off. "Cops run those bogus plates, they're gonna search that SUV from top to bottom." Juice said as he kept the car going slow. He didn't know what to do, but they had to do something quick if they were going to do anything at all to help the others out.

Half Sack popped up in between them, looking at them both with a worried expression. He was as new to this as she was. He was still a prospect, so they never brought him on the big trips like this one was turning out to be. Granted, he had more experience than she did, but he sure didn't act like it some times. "We've got two dead bodies in there, man." He said, just stating the obvious.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that, Half Sack. Thanks for, oh I don't know, pointing out the obvious." Savannah snapped, her frustration getting the best of her.

Half Sack suddenly looked sheepish as he sat back in his seat again. Juice and Savannah both look, trying to figure out what they could do. "Juice, you have to do something." She said urgently when she noticed that the cop had gotten to the driver's window now.

"Like what?" He asked, looking between her and the road.

An idea suddenly came to her.

"Like this." She said as she jumped up in her seat and scooted over onto his lap.

She managed to sit down right and pressed her foot down on the gas, causing them all to jerk in their seats as they flew forward. The three of them screamed out, Juice holding onto her waist to keep her secured, as they rammed right into the back of the police car. The three all shared a look before bursting out in laughter.

"Jesus christ!" They heard the cop shouting out when he saw the damage.

The three then all jumped out of the car, taking off in a run while the cop called out after them. Juice grabbed a hold of Savannah's hand, not wanting her to fall behind. "Come on, piggie! Come on!" Juice shouted back, egging the cop on to follow them and leave the SUV alone.

Juice kept a tight grip on Savannah's hand, basically dragging her along behind as they ran from the cop. He knew she wasn't big on running, at least she hadn't been when they were in New York. She'd rather sleep in than go running with him in the morning. Thankfully, their running was almost over as Jax drove past them in the SUV. "Run, Prospect, run!" Chibs shout out from the car. "Run, princess! Get in you fagots!" He shout as he kicked the trunk door open for them.

"Run, boys! Get in!" Jax shouted as he looked back to make sure the cop wasn't following them. Though, a now blown tire and a broken engine might have fixed that.

Juice basically shoved Savannah up before him. Chibs reached forward to grab her, and with one last shove from Juice, she was basically flying into Chibs' arms. Juice jumped in next, falling in beside them, and Half Sack jumped in last on the other side of Chibs and Savannah. All three were breathing hard, trying to catch their breath.

The old scott's man kept a firm hold around Savannah's waist as they picked up speed. That didn't stop him from joining in with flipping off the cop with Juice and Half Sack though. "Bye, Copper! Bye!" He shouted to the cop, who had stopped chasing after them and had then started shooting instead.

Chibs tossed Savannah to the side, not wanting her in the crossfire as he sank down in his spot. Juice threw an arm over her, covering her as they both ducked down at well. Half Sack covered his own head, trying to make himself as hidden as possible. The firing didn't last long, and soon they were able to sit upright again and closed the trunk door.

"Oh, it fucking stinks back here." Savannah said, holding back a gag as she climbed into the front seat with her brother.

He'd made her drive with Half Sack and Juice while they talked about shaving their privates and Half Sack using his 'battle wound' to get a blow job, she deserved the front seat. Jax glanced at her, chuckling when he saw her crossing her arms and blowing a strand of hair out of her face. "Still glad you came along?" He laughed, only to receive the finger in return.

"Fuck you, Jackson Teller." She said, finally catching her breath before looking out the window.

"I'll take that as a yes then."

#$^%$^%$^

Night had fallen by the time they'd gotten where they needed to be. Savannah stayed outside while they created the crime scene inside of an old warehouse. Jax didn't want her anywhere near it, not that she'd want to see all the blood anyway. She was sitting up on top of hood of the old piece of crap they picked up on the ride since she, and technically Juice too, crashed the other one.

She was laid out just staring up at the stars above her in the sky. She didn't get to see them often, but they were nice to see when she could. "You know Jax is blaming me for crashing the car, right?" A voice said out beside her. She did nothing other than laugh as she looked over. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Savvy. I got stuck on the fake blood duty thanks to you." He said, trying to come off annoyed though he really wasn't, as he hopped onto the spot beside her on the hood of the car.

She scooted over a little on the hood to give him some room. She tried to put as much room in between them as she could. Obviously them being too close was already an issue. She couldn't trust herself around him, especially when they were alone. "Oh, cause that's so much worse than having to run over the guy's head with the SUV? You're a big baby, you know that?" She said as she turned her head to face him.

Her smile softened as he met her gaze. He chuckled, returning her smile with one of his own. He reached out and brushed back some of her hair. He kept his hand on her cheek instead of moving it back to his side. She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning into his touch as he stroked her cheek bone with his thumb. "Just friends, Juice. Please." She whispered, opening her eyes after a second.

With a sigh, he nodded and dropped his hand from her cheek. Obviously this was going to be harder than it should be. Not that it was ever going to be easy in the first place. So, he did what he did best and changed the subject. "But did you really have to crash the car that badly? I liked that one." He spoke up after a moment.

Savannah looked stunned for a moment, not knowing what he was talking about at first until she remembered the car. She let out another round of laughter before turning away from him. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it was the most safest. If she wasn't facing him, she wouldn't have to stare into his big doe eyes and get caught up in the moment again. He watched her with a genuine smile as she continued on to laugh. Her smile made his heart skip a beat still after all these years.

This girl was going to be the death of him, he just knew it.


	6. Back To The Definition of Just Friends

_Thanks for all the reviews! I meant to get this up earlier, but I got caught up in celebrating my b-day lol Big thanks to Love Ink for helping me out with this one, I know this one gave me a lot of issues but I'm hoping you all aren't too bored with it. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 6_

 _#$%^ &%$#%^_

After the excitement of the day before, Savannah was happy to join her ma on her food shopping trip for the dinner that night. Though, given what her ma had walked in on, maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to join her. She didn't want to have another conversation about it. Not while she was still conflicted about it anyway.

She didn't trust her heart when it came to Juice. Her head told her to walk away, it'll be less pain later on when things go south. She didn't want to be an old lady, and if she got with Juice again it would eventually lead to there now that he was in the club. He'd already hurt her once, she didn't want to get her heart broken a second time by him.

Her heart ached for him though. Yesterday was the first time they really spent time together since she'd gotten back, and it just brought back memories she'd tried to block. Her body missed his. She missed his touch and his kisses. When he kissed her, her body betrayed her and gave in. Her heart won out against her head and they ended up in the position they had yesterday. That couldn't happen again. She just had to keep reminding herself of that.

They were going to try being just friends, but she wasn't sure how that was going to work. It had been fine in the garage before they started talking about their past. Even then, she didn't crack until he kissed her. So, he just couldn't get that close. When he got too close, she found it hard to think and she couldn't let that happen again. They'd be fine if she kept him at arms length. At least, she hoped so.

"You see that?" Gemma's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Looking up, she noticed Donna at the check out belt. One of the managers was talking to her, keeping his voice low as an attempt to not embarrass her. Savannah's heart broke for the woman she once considered a friend. She helped her a lot. When she was graduating high school, it was Donna who came over and did her hair and make up. She'd taken over Tara's role of best friend when the doctor left.

They lost touch when Opie went into Chino. She wanted nothing to do with the club that took her husband from her and their kids. Apparently that included her too. Of course, when Opie went in, she'd been away at school. She didn't blame her for not reaching out, it wasn't like she'd done anything to mend the bridge between them either.

Still, watching Donna take out half of her stuff broke her heart. Just because Ope was trying to earn straight since getting out didn't change history. Opie was still her brother, he was still Samcro whether he liked it or not. Donna was always going to be family, no matter how much she pushed them away. Family stuck together and helped each other out. It was as simple as that.

"Here, stay here with our stuff. I'll be back." Gemma said, handing her her purse.

Savannah simply nodded, watching as her mom grabbed another basket and started putting the stuff Donna left behind inside of it. She was gonna pay for it, and hopefully catch up to the other woman before she left. Savannah watched as her ma paid for Donna's things and walked out after her, leaving her behind to pay for their own things.

Feeling her phone buzz in her pocket, she reached behind her and slipped it out. Flipping it open, a small smile played on her face. ' _Just friends can still text, right?_ ' It read. It was from Juice. She wasn't even going to question how he got her number, she certainly hadn't given it to him. He wasn't the inteligence officer for nothing though. He knew his shit. Finding out her number was probably child's play for him.

Inching the carriage forward, she bite her lip before she pressed the reply button and typed in a quick message back. ' _I guess so._ '

It wasn't long before another message popped up. ' _What else can just friends do?_ '

Blushing, she knew exactly where he was going with this. What kind of 'just friends' were they? She honestly had been debating the same thing. Could they do benefits without the issue of feelings getting in the way? She wasn't sure they could. There was too much history for them to go in half heartedly. Even if they started something purely physically, old feelings would resurface and get in the way.

Glancing up to make sure it wasn't her turn, she sighed and hit reply. ' _Just friends. No benefits. Srry. Take it or leave it._ '

She was certain he'd drop it there and then. He wouldn't want to be just friends if he couldn't have her in some way. They had too much history to be just friends. She knew that already, but she didn't want to not have him in her life in some way. She'd just been hoping just friends would be enough for him.

She started to put her stuff up on the belt when she felt her phone vibrate again. Ignoring it, she continued to put stuff up. People would get annoyed with her if she held up the line because she was on her phone. Glancing out the doors, she saw her ma and Donna talking and it didn't seem to be going over that well if Donna's pissed off expression was any clue.

Sighing, she flashed the cashier a quick smile before keeping an eye on everything that was rung up. It was a habit of her mom's she'd picked up. Watching to make sure all the prices rang up like they were suppose to. A few minutes went by and she was finally able to pay before she pushed her carriage out of the grocery store. She'd just passed through the doors when she saw Donna drive off.

She hadn't taken the bag of food from Gemma.

"Ma, we gotta go!" She called out, motioning to the full carriage of food.

Gemma nodded and met her over at their own car. The two filled the trunk with bags of food before they settled into the front seats and started to drive back to the house. As they were driving, Savannah took out her phone and remembered the message she'd ignored. Pulling it open, she couldn't hide the smile that appeared on her lips.

' _I'll take it._ '

"Anyone special?" Gemma asked, not missing the smile on her daughter's face.

Savannah quickly closed the message, putting her phone back into her pocket as she sat up straight in her seat. Clearing her throat, she was quick to shake her head. "Uh, no. Just Jax being a dumbass. They, uh, need me to work a shift. Can you drop me off there before you go to the house?" She asked, rubbing her hands on her jeans as she shifted around in her seat again.

Gemma narrowed her eyes on Savannah suspiciously. She obviously didn't believe her, but didn't push it as she changed directions and headed toward the clubhouse instead. "I gotta talk to your brother anyway." Gemma said, her eyes flickering to Savannah quickly before focusing back to the road. Savannah just nodded, looking out the window so she didn't have to see her mother's suspicious gaze.

So much for a nice boring day.

#^%^$%^$

Savannah was working on replacing a tire when she saw Deputy David Hale pull into the parking lot. He'd always been a pain in their ass's since he joined the force. Maybe even before that. He'd gone to school with Jax, Tara, and Opie. He'd been the boy scout who'd always had a crush on the good doctor before Jax set his sights on her. Savannah had no issue with him, he'd always been nice to her.

She noticed Jax and Clay walking out of the garage, rolling their eyes when they noticed the deputy chief. Hale was not like Uncer, he was not gonna let half of the shit slide like his boss did. With Unser stepping down because of his cancer, Hale was next in line to run Charming PD. Something that didn't go over well with Clay.

Her eyes followed Hale as he climbed out of his jeep. This wasn't a friendly visit, she could tell that much by how tense he seemed to be. "Unser's not retiring." He said out, only to be ignored by the two bikers. "What did you do? Threaten to rape his daughter?" He asked, his eyes only flickering to Savannah for a moment before returning his attention back to the two men in front of him.

Savannah's eyes widened at the comment. She knew Lily Unser, they'd been friends in high school. She was probably the only girl who actually treated her nicely. They'd lost touch when they both went off to college. She wondered briefly if she was back in town. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try and reconcile that friendship.

Jax and Clay slowed to a stop, turning around to face Hale now. Jax knew Lily too though, and he wouldn't harm a hair on her head. For Hale to imply differently, it was a low blow. "That's a little harsh." Clay said, his eyes flickering to Savannah. He knew she could hear them, but she was pretending she couldn't. "Maybe the old man's not ready for the gold watch." He said, his focus returning to the deputy in front of them.

"Just got back from that Bluebird warehouse. There were two dead women in that utility hatch . . . before my guys got pulled off. They're gone." He said, looking between them for any sign of a reaction.

"They could've been napping." Jax taunted, making Clay chuckle beside him. Hale wasn't impressed.

"You guys. Cruising around here like heroes. But you and I know the truth." Hale said, grinning bitterly as he looked between them.

"What truth is that?" Jax asked, clenching his fists at his sides.

Hale looked between them. He knew Samcro was use to running this town, and while they had managed to figure out a way to hold onto their power for a few months longer, he was eventually going to take over. Their days of running Charming were coming to and end, he'd see to that. "You're white trash thugs holding onto a dying dream." He said, his eyes flickering to the brunette watching them with a glare. "Sorry, Savannah."

Clay glanced at Savannah, who quickly dropped her head and returned to her work, before he turned his attention back to the deputy chief. Hale could talk all he wanted, but as long as he still could breathe, the deputy wasn't going to get what he wanted. Charming was his, and no one, not even David Hale, could take that from him. "Oh, that is so poetic, Chief." Clay said. "Oh! I'm sorry. I guess it's just _deputy_ chief. Right?" He said, taunting him as they stood face to face now.

Hale gritted his teeth, his jaw clenching as he stood firm. He wasn't gonna show fear in front of these guys. They didn't scare him. He'd known them long enough, been butting heads with them long enough, to know better. "It doesn't matter if I'm chief or not. You can't stop progress. It won't be long before Samcro is just an ugly memory in the history of Charming. So enjoy the ride while you still can." He said, grinning as he backed away. "Savannah." He said, nodding his head as he turned to head toward his jeep.

Savannah watched the three part ways. Clay and Jax were talking too low for anyone else to hear, and Hale was getting into his jeep. Acting on a whim, she shot up and jogged over to the blue jeep. "Hey, David. Wait!" She called out, stopping him before he could turn on the engine.

"What is it?" He asked when she appeared in the open window.

She wasn't sure what came over her. All she knew was it wouldn't hurt to have a friend while she was here in Charming. Maybe it would help her with her Juice dilemma? Even if it couldn't, it didn't hurt to have a friend that didn't have something swinging in between her legs. "Do you know if Lily's back in town? We lost touch, and I don't know, I was wondering if you had her number." She asked, brushing back a curl that had fallen loose.

Glancing behind her, he noticed Clay and Jax talking. He knew it had to be about what he'd told them. Sighing, he nodded before taking out a piece of paper and his pen. He scribbled down a number before passing it to her. Looking it over, she smiled and nodded her thanks. "Thanks, Deputy chief. See ya around." She said, giving him a mock salute before heading back to her work. Hale watched her for a minute before shaking his head and getting into his jeep. With a heavy sigh, he started the engine and drove out of the lot.

#%$#$#$%^

Later that night, it was time for the big family dinner. Her shift had run late so Half Sack had been happy to give her a lift home. They didn't miss much, and it wasn't like they would have allowed her near anything in the actual kitchen anyway. There was a reason Juice and Savannah got takeout most nights, and when they didn't? Juice did all the actual cooking. Her involvement consisted to pancakes and breakfast foods. She could cook pasta, but then again, a monkey probably could too.

Gemma walked into the dining room with the last dish of food to put down on the table. She paused as she looked over the table with a small smile on her face. Clay sat at the end of the table, Jax sitting to his left as he was talking amicably with Bobby who was sitting on the other side of the table.

She smiled warmly at the other men around the table until her eyes set on her daughter. She smiled softly as she watched on as her daughter sat in between the youngest two of the club, Half Sack and Juice. Both were trying to keep her attention with what they were trying to tell her, and Gemma couldn't help but shake her head as she watched as Savannah tried her best to listen to them both. Gemma knew she was having a hard time when it came to making things work with the newest patched member, but she had faith in her making the right decision in the end.

The older Teller woman made her way over to her seat beside Clay on his right. She leaned over and kissed him quickly before settling and diving in to gab her own plate of food before the men took it all. She looked around the table again and smiled as she talked to the others.

This was her family, and she wouldn't change it for the world.


	7. Back To New Distractions

_Thanks for the reviews! You guys seriously are great! Big thanks to Love Ink for helping me get this chapter together and for convincing me to post tonight lol I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners_

 _Chapter 7_

 _#%^*%^$^%#_

Things had settled down, at least to Savannah's knowledge. There was no more bodies needing to be buried, or unburied. The Teller's were making a family outing to Fun Town, with a couple of the guys making an appearance as well. The group had split apart. Gemma and Clay snuck off to be alone while Jax, Tig, and Bobby went off to the rides. That left Savannah on her own with Juice.

Juice had made it his goal to win something for her, and was slowly burning through a good chunk of money to achieve his goal. They were currently playing the milk bottle game. Juice was trying to knock them down, and he wasn't doing so hot. She had to cover her mouth to hide a giggle when he missed again. "Juice, just let me try." She said, trying to save him some embarrassment.

She knew good and well the game was rigged. He probably knew it too, but she knew exactly where to throw to win. Something Juice didn't know. Sighing, he handed her the last ball. "Fine, but I swear there's no beatin' this one." He said, shooting a glare to the carni who was running the booth.

Savannah lined up her shot. Juice crossed his arms, chuckling as he watched her. She was serious about this. "Never say never, Ortiz." She said before she tossed the ball.

He was ready to tease her, but then he heard the bottles fall. His smile dropped when he saw she'd knocked them all over in one shot. No _fucking_ way. He'd been trying ten minutes to get just _one_ bottle to fall, and she'd managed to knock them all over in one shot. Savannah jumped, cheering in victory before she turned to him. "Ha! Told you I'd get it!" She teased, laughing as she did her little victory dance.

He couldn't hold back the laugh that broke free upon seeing her. He'd missed this the most, even more than the sex. He missed just goofing off with her. He loved to see her smile, loved hearing her laugh even more. "Lucky shot." He said, ignoring her as he turned to the man behind the counter. Rolling his eyes, he tried to act as if he wasn't impressed as he took the giant stuffed animal from the Carni.

"Don't be a sore loser, Juice. I won't tell the guys I won the dog." She teased, taking the stuffed animal from him as they walked away from the booth.

He chuckled, glancing over at her as they moved. Looking her over, he took the chance to appreciate the view. She was wearing a tank top, showing off just enough cleavage for him to oogle at. Over it she wore a plaid top, unbuttoned as it fell past her ass. Her legs were exposed in her jean shorts, giving him a nice view of her legs. "You know, it's not polite to stare." She said, shooting him a look to cut it out.

Just friends didn't opening undress friends with their eyes. Juice rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling weakly as he returned his wondering eyes to her face. "Sorry, Sav. Can't help myself. You look hot, and I'm a guy. It's nature." He said, grinning when he saw her roll her eyes. He knew she wasn't mad though when she was trying to hold back her own laugh.

"Right, just nature at it's best."

The two didn't even realize they had stopped walking and were just staring at the other until Juice's prepaid went off. Both jumped, taking a step away from each other. Savannah looked away, not wanting him to see her blush as he took out his phone. He walked a few feet away, seeing that it was Chibs before he flipped it open and answered. Savannah crossed her arms, awkwardly waiting for him to finish with the call.

"Yeah, yeah . . . yeah, alright . . . I'll go tell 'em." Juice said, pausing as Chibs said something before he nodded again. "Yeah, see you soon, brother."

With that, Juice hung up and returned to Savannah. She knew by the apologenic smile he was giving her, it meant he had to go. Something was going down with the club. "That was Chibs. Looks like our Irish friend is here. Gotta go tell Clay." He said, motioning behind him.

"It's fine, Juice. I'll go find Jax and tell him." She said, kissing his cheek without thinking.

By the time she realized what she'd done, she was already pulling away and jogging off in search of her brother and the boys. Juice touched his cheek in surprise for a minute before a grin broke out on his face. Shaking his head, he chuckled before he took off in the other direction in search of Clay and Gemma.

Savannah smiled happily when she spotted Jax and the others. They were goofing off, acting like children. She shook her head, laughing to herself before she took off toward her older brother. "Oh, dear brother of mine!" She said out. She jumped up behind him and landed on his back. "You, my favorite big brother, owe me a piggyback ride." She said as she settled her head up on top of his.

He chuckled, nodding his head and lifted her up a little so she wouldn't fall off. He hooked his arms under her knees to get a better grip on her. "Whatever you say, Savvy." He chuckled as he adjusted her again before continuing on with walking with the other two guys.

"Juice got a call. Told him I'd find you guys and tell you the Irish were coming." She said, looking between the three bikers.

She wasn't sure what it meant, but by their shared glances she knew they did. They were walking by the dunk tank when she noticed a clown being a jackass to some kid. Her eyes narrowed, that wasn't right. As if feeling her glare, the man looked up and locked gazes with her. A shiver went down her spine. She did not have a good feeling about that clown. While her attention was on the creeper clown, the guys' attention was on the trio walking past them instead. "Darby's guys?" Bobby asked Jax as they all slowed to a stop in walking.

"I don't recognize 'em." Jax said as they started walking again.

Savannah's eyes never left the clown. Something about him just really gave her the creeps, and she just hoped that her brother and the guys kept walking. If only she was ever that lucky. "Ooo, look at the big, bad, bikers. Come to get clowny all wet, huh?" The creep shouted, causing them to stop at the dunk tank. "Oh, and the princess!" He said with a grin that made her cringe. "I bet I could give you a better time than those losers" He went on, his attention soley on her.

The idiot's mistake was saying it in front of her brother. He squeezed her leg before he let her drop to the ground carefully. With a tight lipped smile, he went over to pay for a round. Bobby and Tig knew this wasn't going to end well for the clown, but he'd brought it upon himself. Tig tossed his arm around her shoulders, a knowing smile on his lips. He knew this was going to be amusing. "Come on, Jax! Come on, you can do it!" Savannah cheered as she clapped her hands together.

Sadly the first throw was a miss. Jax didn't seem to care, he was just warming up. She knew he would keep playing until he dunked this pervert. "What the matter, tough guy? Can't put the big ball in the tight hole?" The clown taunted. "Bet all your leather wearing butt buddies say the same thing." He said, only digging himself into a larger hole. "Maybe the princess over there can teach you a thing or two? She seems like she'd know how to get the job done." He laughed, not realizing he'd finally crossed the line.

Savannah felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as her eyes widened. She hated being called a whore, but that wasn't what was more important at the moment. Jax and the others were going to kill this guy if he didn't shut him mouth. "Oh, no, no. That's a Bozo no-no." Tig said out as the happy mood in the boys seemed to disappear completely. They shared a look before moving forward toward the dunk tank. Going after them was one thing, but no one went after Savannah and got to tell about it.

The clown seemed to see his mistake as the three were heading over to the dunk tanks, leaving Savannah behind to just watch. His eyes widened when he realized what was going to happen. "Oh, jesus, you guys. I was just screwing around, man." He said, his taunting tone now one filled with fear.

They were already pissed off. It wasn't long after he spoke the last word, that Tig had pressed the button and sent him dropping into the tank. He came up as fast as he could, knowing that that it was only going to get worse. "Come on. Yeah, smile boy." Jax taunted as he climbed up top and stepped on the clown's shoulder, trying to dunk him back underwater.

Savannah couldn't watch this. She didn't like the clown, but some times the boys just took it too far. "Hey, Sav!" Juice's voice called out to her. She looked back to see that the boys were still horsing around with the clown. He joined her side and winced watching what was happening. "Ouch. What'd he do?" He asked, cringing when they ducked the clown again.

"He was talking shit. You guys leaving?" She asked, turning away from the others so she didn't have to see anymore.

His eyes lingered on the guys before finally turning back to her. He was wondering what the man could have said to piss them off. He had a feeling it had to do with the girl standing in front of him and from her expression he knew he was right. Upon realizing that, he didn't feel so bad for the clown anymore. "Uh, yeah. Gemma's sticking around though. She's over by the ferris wheel. You gonna be alright?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels.

Glancing back, she saw the guys heading back their way. The clown was sputtering out water, glaring daggers at the bikers. He was definitely not a happy clown. "Yeah, I'll be fine. A pervy clown doesn't bother me." She said, shrugging her shoulder as she crossed her arms.

Jax came up behind her and tossed an arm around her shoulders. He kissed her head, squeezing her shoulder, before looking over at Juice. "You tell Clay 'bout the Irish?" He asked, looking from his sister to Juice.

"Yeah. He said come find you guys. We gotta go." Juice said, nodding his head toward the exit.

The boys said their goodbyes to Savannah before heading off to find Clay and head off to the clubhouse. Savannah sighed, already missing their company. She'd invited Lily Unser to come with them, but she had a shift at the police station. She was Hale and Uncer's secretary appearantly while she was studying criminology at the local comminuty college. She wanted to be a cop like her father.

Savannah was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the man in front of her until she walked right into him. With an oomph, she stumbled back. She would have fallen if he hadn't caught her in time. "You alright?" He asked, looking her over before he set her back on her feet. He didn't let her go until he was sure she was alright.

Savannah nodded, her eyes taking in the lean form standing in front of her. He was wearing a white muscel shirt, showing off the biceps he had. He was maybe a shade darker than Juice, but had black hair that was spiked up. He was definitely fit, his toned abs showing through his white shirt. "You must be fine if you're good enough to eye fuck me." He chuckled, not missing how she blushed after being caught.

Her eyes snapped up, a blush running up her neck to her cheeks as she crossed her arms. "You wish." She scoffed, refusing to meet his eyes.

He chuckled, taking the chance to look her over. She was definitely good looking. He'd seen her around town before. She was always with a Son, though he'd occasionally seen her with an older woman who could only be her mom. His eyes lingered on her chest, appreciating the nice view. She definitely got her rack from her mom. "You done eye fucking me, asshole?" She said, her tone ruder than she'd meant it to be.

He only seemed to be amused. Crossing his arms, he stood taller than her by at least a good foot. He grinned, holding out his hand. "I'm Sebastion, but my friends call me Bash. I know Tig from Lumpy's. We've fought a couple of times." He said, glancing at his out stretched hand expectedly.

She hesitated, looking at his hand in suspicioun. Now she realized why this guy looked familiar. She'd seen him at Lumpy's when she went and watched Koz and Tig box. Happy went occasionally, but he stuck to the ring at the clubhouse for the most part. She'd seen him joking around with the guys before. "Right. I'm Savannah." She said, putting her hand inside of his and shook it.

Their hand shake lasted probably longer than it should have, but she couldn't bring herself to let go and apparently neither could he. Their eyes locked and neither looked away, as if it was a game to see who could stare the longest. "Savannah!" She heard her ma call out behind her. She kept her gaze on him a minute longer before she broke first and pulled her hand away from him.

Her mom was waiting for her, giving her a look to get a move on. Sighing, she rolled her eyes and motioning for her to wait before looking back at Bash. "I've got to go before she has a cow. I'll see you around?" She said, her eyes flickering over him quickly. He definitely wouldn't be a bad distraction.

He chuckled, nodding his head. "Oh, yeah. Definitely. Come around Lumpy's sometimes. I'll teach you a few things."

She knew if she wasn't blushing before, she was now at his double meaning. She had no doubt that he could teach her a few things. Did she want to go there with someone that wasn't Juice? Maybe she just needed an itch scratched? Then again, maybe if she let someone else do the scratching that wasn't Juice, it'd be better in the long run.

"Maybe I will."

With a wink, she smirked and turned on her heels, heading toward her ma. She knew without even turning around his eyes were watching her ass. Gemma crossed her arms, raising a brow at her. "You know what you're doing?" She asked, her eyes flickering back to see the man chuckling as he walked away.

Savannah glanced back briefly before nodding. "Yeah, I do."

At least she hoped she did.

%$#$#%$

Night had fallen and Savannah and Gemma were still enjoying themselves at Fun Town. They were just appreciating the relaxing moment. It wasn't often that happened, and they had to make the most of it when they could. They hadn't been able to really do that in a long time where it was just them.

They were walking along together, laughing about whatever they had just been talking about. "Tristen!" They heard a voice shouting. They spotted one of higher ups in town, Karen Oswald, or at least she was the wife of one. Savannah knew her as her employer before she could be allowed in the garage with the guys. She paid her to babysit her little girl. "Tristen!" She shouted out again. If Savannah remembered right, Tristen was the name of the daughter she use to babysit.

Her and Gemma shared a look before heading over. Karen and husband might look down at people like them, but Gemma was never one to leave someone in need of help alone. It had to be the motherly instincts kicking in or something. "What's going on?" Gemma asked over as they approached the other mother. Savannah looked around to see if she could spot the younger girl, but there was no sign of her. Obviously something was wrong, and she had a bad feeling she already knew what it was.

Karen kept looking around as she met Gemma and Savannah halfway. She looked like she was close to being a nervous wreck. She probably was too if Savannah's suspicions were right about what was going on with Tristen. She was a sweet pretty girl, and Savannah knew that with girls like her this couldn't end well. Especially at carnivals at night like this. "We can't find Tristen." She confessed, confirming Savannah's thoughts.

Savannah and Gemma shared a nervous look, both knowing that this definitely wasn't going to end well. "Oh, jesus. Well, she must be around here somewhere." Gemma said as she started looking around herself. Savannah touched her arm, silently telling her that she was going to go look around. Gemma grabbed onto her arm, yanking her back. She looked back at her mom in confusion. "Hey, you be careful. I don't need you missing and on the ten o'clock news." She said seriously, worry in her eyes.

Savannah hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'll be fine, ma. I swear." She said before giving her mom a quick kiss on the cheek and heading off in search of the little girl.


	8. Back To Telling Tales

_Thanks for the reviews! You guys are great. As always, big thanks to Love Ink for helping me out with this chapters. This episodes was definitely a lot harder to write than I thought it was going to be lol If you haven't already, definitely check out her story Hands All Over. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides me ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 8_

 _! #$%^* &(^&%$%$_

The next day, Savannah, Juice, and Half Sack were all out getting some more tires from another shop since they were running low. Tristen had been found, thank god, but it wasn't pretty when they did. Some bastard had raped her in the woods. Since the incident the night before, the guys had been up Savannah's ass since she got down to the garage. They didn't want her alone.

She and Half Sack carried more tires back to the old beat up van they had driven here. As she loaded another two tires in, she looked back to see Juice still one the phone. He'd been on the phone since they got there, making her and Sack do his portion of the work. "You can help any time, you know?" She said, picking up another two tires.

Juice just waved her off, going back to his conversation with whoever it was back at the clubhouse. Whatever it was about, it didn't look like it was any good. She had a feeling it was about the Oswald girl. She just hoped it wasn't one of them getting hit with the blame for Tristen. They might be assholes, but they would never hurt a little girl or anyone woman, for that matter, like that coward did. "Alright." He said into the phone. "Yeah." He said before hanging up. "Yo, Sav and I gotta head back to T.M." He said, pocketing his phone.

She shot him a confused look, not knowing why she was involved in this. She had a feeling it was more he didn't want to leave her with Half Sack. "Charming P.D.'s grilling everyone who was at the carnival. Probably wants to get your statement too." He explained, glancing between the two. His eyes settled on Half Sack. "Jax wants you to follow Hale, keep tabs on him."

Savannah looked between them curiously, wondering what was going on now. Half Sack was more worried about what Juice expected him to follow Hale on if he was taking the van back to the clubhouse. He couldn't exactly follow a jeep around on foot. He was almost afraid to ask him. "F-Follow him on what?" He asked anyway.

Juice looked between them, chuckling when an idea came to him. He looked back at the miniature dirt bike behind them and laughed as he looked back at Half Sack. He patted his chest, clearly telling him that he was out of luck. "Sorry, man." He chuckled, motioning for Savannah to get in the van. Without a look back to Half Sack, they headed toward the van and got in. The prospect watched as they drove off. Glancing back at the bike, he groaned in annoyance before grabbing it and taking off.

#$ %$#%$

When they got to TM, they that the guys had knocked the cops out. As they climbed out of the van, Clay sent Juice to look up what he could about Darby's guys. Savannah went to make sure they hadn't done any serious damage to Hale's cops and by the time she came back outside, Tig and Bobby were driving in and parking their bikes. Clay was sitting on the hood of a cop car, reading over a magazine while he waited. "We got no sign of Darby." Tig said out to Clay.

"Looked at the cook shacks, his house, the Dog. Looked all over for that guy." Bobby said as they approached.

"Maybe's he's gone underground." Clay said before he noticed Savannah coming over.

Savannah brough over a cup of a coffee for Clay and smiled weakly at Bobby and Tig before giving it to him. She knew they were working hard to find who did this. "You guys think Darby had something to do with this?" She asked, looking between the three.

She wasn't sure if they'd tell her anything. She wasn't privy to anymore club business than her mom was. Even less since she wasn't even an old lady. Before they could say anything, Juice came jogging over from the clubhouse. "Hey. Three of Darby's guys have done time for sex crimes. Two are still in P. Bay, other's, Johnny Yates. Got a P. O box in Pope." He said, showing them the papers he printed out.

"Hey, we saw this guy yesterday at the carnival." Tig said once he got a look at the mug shot. Bobby nodded in agreement.

Juice glanced at Savannah for confimation, but she just shrugged. She'd been looking at the clown when they saw Darby's guy. "You sure?" Clay asked as he glanced between the two.

Bobby and Tig both nodded, confirming it was the right guy. Before he question them further, his phone went off. Pulling it out, he glanced at the screen to see his wife's name popping up. "Hang on. Savvy, why don't you go close up shop for the day?" He said over to her before he flipped open his phone and put it to his ear to answer. "I'm in the middle of it, baby."

Savannah hesitated, glancing between the four men. The other three weren't making eye contact with her. Not even Juice. None of them wanted her involved with this, and that was fine. She wasn't sure she wanted to know anymore details.

She locked up the shop and left not much longer once the cops woke up and saw themselves out. To say they were not happy, would have been an understatement. Heading over to the clubhouse, she knew Juice hadn't left with the others. She'd seen them all leave, except for him. She wanted to see if they found anything else out. She walked inside and tried to call him to find out where he was, but she got no answer. Looking around, she saw he was nowhere insight. Maybe he did leave and she just didn't see him? Yeah, that had to be it.

Savannah ended up going to the hospital. She didn't know why she had gone there of all places, but she figured she would go and visit Abel. She counted herself lucky when she found out her mom had left for the night. She walked into Abel's room and felt her heart break all over again seeing him in his little box. No child should have to live their first few weeks in box like this, especially not her nephew.

She took a deep breath and shut the door behind her before going over to the baby. She pressed her hand flat against the box and breathed heavily as she wiped her eyes with her other hand. She smiled sadly when he looked up at her and looked at her curiously, wondering who she was no doubt. It wasn't like she visited much. She was really doing great at this aunt thing so far . . . not. "Hey there, baby boy. It's your aunt Savvy. I know, I've been sucking at coming to see you." She said to the little baby.

She looked around and spotted a chair not far from where she was standing. She reached over and pulled it up to the little box. She lowered herself into it and gave Abel a little wave of her hand. "I know I haven't come to see you a lot, but I kind of need someone to talk to that won't, you know, judge me. I figured, who better than the baby who won't . . . who won't understand what the hell I'm saying? Right?" She started to say. She took another deep breath before looking at him again. "You see, Abel, I'm kind of at a loss of what to do. Your uncle Juice and I have some serious history and I . . . I loved him. He's really sweet, believe it or not. He makes me laugh, even when he doesn't mean to, and he's kind of an idiot, but believe me, I loved that about him. He still makes me laugh after all these years." she confessed, smiling sadly as she wiped her eyes.

She knew her ma knew about her and Juice's past, so did Jax, but she couldn't talk to them about what had her so messed up. Since coming back, her mind was all over the place. She thought she'd finally figured it out, finally gotten over him, but there he was. He was here with her, and suddenly all those feelings she'd managed to forget were back. "I use to love him so much, Able. I thought . . . I thought he might be the one. Jokes was on me though. He dumped me when he couldn't believe in us. I was crushed. I finally started to move on, I was ready to leave him in the past. Now he's here and I don't . . . how do I handle that? I still want him, I can't help it. The feelings are still there, even if I wish they weren't. We're gonna try and be friends, cause that worked out so well the first time." She confessed as a smile broke out on her face just at the thought.

She jumped a mile, her heart stopping, when a hand dropped onto her shoulder. She hurried to look up to see who it was and felt her stomach flip. "Tara, I . . . how much did you hear?" She asked, hurrying to stand up and wipe her eyes.

"Enough. What are you gonna do?" She asked, looking over at her old friend.

Savannah cleared her throat, her eyes drifting to the floor as she crossed her arms. She wasn't sure. She didn't know when Gemma asked her, she didn't know how when she talked to Abel, and she didn't know now. "I'm not sure. We . . . he broke me, Tara. I loved him, and he hurt me when he pushed me away. How do I forgive him? How did Jax forgive you?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

Tara knew she hadn't meant it viciously. She knew Savannah was in a similar situation as her and Jax. She honestly wanted to know, and Tara wasn't sure she knew what to tell her. She wasn't even entirely sure how Jax could let her back in. "We-we're not back together. I . . . I didn't come back for him. We're friends." She said, blushing as she brushed back a strand of hair from her face.

Savannah scoffed, smiling bitterly at the term. "We can't be just friends with them, Tara. You and I both know that. I keep trying to convince myself we can, but-but we can't."

Tara tensed, knowing she was right but not wanting to admit it. She wanted to believe she and Jax could be friends as much as Savannah hoped for the same thing with Juice. Deep down she knew Savannah was right. There was no just being friends with a Son. Unless that friendship included sex. They wouldn't know how to have a friendship with the opposite sex if it hit them in the face.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Tara asked.

Savannah picked up her things and moved around the doctor to get to the door. Pulling it open, she paused in the doorway. Sighing, she dropped her head before looking back. "I don't know about you, but I . . . I need to move on. I gotta keep my past with Juice behind me, in the past." She said, her voice almost sounding broken. Tara didn't say anything as Savannah glanced at Abel one last time before leaving. She had the sudden urge to go to the gym.

#$%^&*$

Come the next morning, Savannah had put the day before behind her. She had gotten out her worries, and it was over now. Looking at the darkening hickey on her neck, she cursed herself for not seeing it before she left the house this morning. Her trip to the gym had been productive, that was for sure. She was definitely going to get some questions about it, and she didn't want to answer them. Especially when it was Juice asking.

Savannah was driving by the police station when she caught sight of Hale standing over something around the corner of the building. She couldn't help but think about the day before with the race to find out who raped that girl. She hadn't heard from the guys on who had found the guy who had raped Tristen first, so she was now curious about it.

Actually, they hadn't told her anything about it now that she thought about it. Not anything more than what she already knew anyway. It wasn't like she was racing to pick up her phone either. She was a little busy. Maybe they'll tell her something about it when she gets to the shop for her shift? She would have kept going past the deputy, but she saw that Hale wasn't alone.

She felt like dying of laughter when she saw some drunk passed out in front of him. She found herself slowing down when the drunk lifted his head up. It was Juice! Pulling over, she rolled down her window and leaned out. "Looks like you might have found something of mine, deputy." She said out, grinning as she looked over the dazed man sized baby.

Whoever had left him out here, had taken his clothes and replaced them with just a diaper and had stuck a cardboard sign to his chest saying ' _Slightly retarded child. Please adopt me_.' in big black capital letters. Juice groaned as he pulled himself up to his feet. At least they left him with his boots. "Sorry, chief. I'm not sure what . . . oh, uh, hey, Savannah." He cut himself off as he spotted Savannah.

Climbing out of her car, she moved to stand beside the officer and shook her head. She gave him a look, as if she was asking if this was for real. What could he have possibly done to deserve this? This was like overkill. "Just get him home, alright, Savannah? I'd write him up, but I'd say the club's got it under control." He said as he motioned to Juice again.

She nodded, letting his squeeze her arm before glanced back at Juice. "I'll take care of it, don't worry. Thanks, Hale." She said before moving to help Juice stay on his feet. Rolling his eyes, Hale sighed and headed back toward the station. Once he was out of earshot, Savannah sighed and looked back to Juice. The guys had really gotten him good this time. "Take off the stupid sign, Juice." She said, giving it a tug.

Juice nodded, wincing as he looked down. He couldn't help but feel more embarrassed that Savannah had caught sight of him like this than Hale. He had to look like the biggest idiot to her right now. He felt more embarrassed than he was sore, and that was saying something since he was sore as hell. "Right, we gotta go, um . . ." He paused as he looked down at himself. "I'm late for my eight o'clock feeding, huh?" He said, as if trying to make a joke out of the situation. Savannah didn't seem to think it was funny. She shot him a warning look and tugged on the sign again, only managing to pull half of it off. "Ow." He yelped from the staples being pulled out. He pulled the other half off of his chest then, though he now wished that he hadn't. "Ohhh!" He cried out as he dropped it from his hand.

She sighed as she moved his arm around her shoulders and gave Hale one last mocking wave of her hand before leading Juice off toward her car. He was limping in pain, but she was able to hold him up for the most part. He pulled up his homemade diaper with a wince of pain from the movement. She couldn't help but feel a little bad for him when she saw how much pain he was in, not to mention the fact that they had stapled the sign to his chest.

She opened her backseat door for him and helped him inside. She dug out her keys and popped open her trunk. She snatched up one of the old blankets she kept inside and tossed it into the backseat with Juice before jogging around to get in the driver's seat. "Here, it'll cover you up a little." She said, giving him a quick glance before she started the car.

"Thanks, Sav." He said, wincing as he wrapped it around himself.

She wanted to ask what he'd done to deserve this, but she decided against it. Obviously it'd been bad enough to get this treatment. Juice closed his eyes, trying to ignore the soreness of his body. Peeking his eye open, he noticed a telling mark on her neck. Not one he'd left there, but someone else. "Didn't realize you were seeing someone." He said out, closing his eyes again.

Savannah tensed, adjusting her shirt to cover the hickey. She hadn't wanted Juice to see it, but it looked like fate was against her today. "I'm not. Just . . . met up with a friend." She lied, advoiding meeting his eyes through the mirror.

"Yeah, right." He scoffed, turning away from her and glared out the window.

So her trip to the Lumpy's hadn't been because she wanted to work out her frustration on a punching bag. She'd gone to see Bash, and well, it was fantastic. He was fantastic. It'd been rough and quick, just what she needed. It almost reminded her of Koz, only not as violent, which was fine with her. She wasn't about to tell Juice any of that though. He could never know because she knew he'd go right over there and kick Bash's ass, or embarrass himself trying to.


	9. Back To Being Just Friends

_Thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you guys are liking Bash so far! I was worried about that lol Big thanks to Love Ink as usual for helping me with this chapter. I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners_

 _Chapter 9_

 _$%$^%$^^%_

Savannah felt like the worst. It had been a few days since she'd gone to Lumpy's to see Bash, since Juice found out about it, and she'd gone a few more times since then. He was like a drug she couldn't stay away from, no matter how much it hurt Juice. She knew her plan was working. Juice kept his distance since he found out. She was free. So why did it hurt so much more worse than before? Why did it hurt every time she saw the pain in his eyes? It felt like she was cheating.

It didn't make any more sense to her than it would to anyone else, but it did. Every time she went to the gym, every time he kissed her, it felt like she was cheating on Juice. But she kept going. She kept sleeping with Bash. She couldn't help herself.

She had just gotten back from a quick trip to the store to find most of the guys working hard in the garage. Juice included. The garage was loud, but she found peace in it. This was her safe place. She could get away from almost anything. Except Juice's glare. Adjusting her shirt, she advoiding his gaze as she walked over to Clay and Jax. "Ah, gotta bring it in through here." Jax said, his eyes shifting her before he moved a pipe on the bike. "Afraid the amped-up carb's gonna throw too much hear on the line." He went on to explain.

Clay's eyes didn't move from the bike they were working on, but he knew Savannah had joined them. He's noticed the change in his intelligence officer the past couple of days, and knew she was the cause of it. He hadn't said anything, but if something happened to make him step in he would. "Might." He said, trying to think of something that would fix their problem.

Savannah looked over the bike, remembering what Jax had mentioned before looking up to her brother and step father. She always felt like she had to prove herself, prove that she'd earned her place here in the garage, to Clay. "That new Graytex cable can take a shitload of heat though." She said, glancing between the two as Tig drove in on his bike.

"We've got troubles."

Savannah glanced back at Juice to see him still watching her. His entire presence was different. This was a side of Juice she didn't know. A side that had come from his time in prison, from his time being in the club too no doubt. It didn't scare her, surprisingly. It made her stomach flutter instead, and that was worse. "Yeah, we do." She muttered under her breath as she watched the patched members all leave to discuss whatever the issue was.

So much for proving herself to Clay.

! $#%^&*

A couple of hours had passed by, and Half Sack had showed up for his shift. It wasn't long after that, that the guys were finally coming out from church. Jax and Bobby went to their bikes, getting ready to leave. Where they were going, she had no idea. Lowell, one of the other mechanics, was showing her one of the new parts that had come in when she noticed a familiar car pull into the lot. It was Tara's dad's Cutless. She remember Tara picking her up sometimes from school in it. It was hard to believe she still had it all these years later.

The good doctor waved to Jax, pulling to a stop as she got to them. Savannah rolled her eyes, knowing Tara was just here to see her brother, and returned her attention to Lowell. A few minutes went by before she felt her pocket vibrating in her pocket. "Sorry, got to grab that. I'll be back, Lowell." She said, excusing herself as she stepped outside and answered her phone. "Savannah Teller speaking."

" _Hey, Savannah. It's Lily. Lily Unser. Sorry I had to bail the other day for Fun Town, but I have the rest of the day off. You busy?_ " Lily said on the other line as she packed up her things to go.

Savannah glanced over to see Juice and Tig making their way back over to the garage. They were returning to work, and Savannah knew the tension would be back as soon as she and Juice were in the same room. It wouldn't hurt to get away from that for a while. "Yeah, I just need to finish up here. Why don't we meet for coffee?" She said, walking into the office to punch herself out for the day.

" _That sounds great. I'll meet you there._ "

Hanging up her phone, Savannah walked out of the office and saw her ma's car pulling into the lot, pulling up beside Jax and Tara. That was a disaster in the making. Gemma hated Tara for hurting Jax, and her brother was blind to it. Tara just looked uncomfortable, knowing Gemma didn't like her.

Turning into the garage, she headed over to her locker and went to grab her things. "You going to Lumpy's again?" Juice asked out, the words leaving his lips before he could stop them.

Blushing, she shook her head and tried to ignore the look of relief on his face. She knew he was keeping track of how many times she'd gone. It made it harder for him, she couldn't understand why he did it, but then again she did know. He wanted to know if this was something he really had to worry about or not. With how many times she'd gone just this week, she was starting to think maybe there was something he needed to worry about.

"I'm going to meet Lily Unser for coffee. Not that you need to know." She said, pulling off her work shirt to replace it with the plaid shirt she'd packed to put over her tank top.

She didn't miss the way he watched her while she changed shirts, or how his eyes lingered on her the sliver of red lace that was sticking out at the neckline of her tank. She did her best to ignore him. Her hair was already pulled back, which saved her a few minutes. Her duckies would just have to do since she didn't bring extra pants. She wasn't going anywhere too fancy so it didn't worry her.

"You seein' this loser? He's the reason you've been going to Lumpy's so damn much, right?" He asked, not being able to hold it in anymore.

Savannah shot him a look to shut it. Her eyes flickered to Tig and Half Sack, who were both pretending they weren't listening in on their conversation. Adjusting her hair, she sighed before shutting her locker and turning to face him. "I'm not dating him, Juice. Now will you drop it? I need to go." She hissed, glaring as she grabbed her back and went to leave.

His hand reached out, wrapping around her wrist as he stood up. She jerked to a stop, swinging around to face him. Yanking her wrist free, she narrowed her eyes angrily. "Do not grab me. I'm not a sweetbutt you can yank around, Juice. I'm not your old lady either." She snapped, her fingers crenching at her sides.

"That doesn't mean you can go and fuck some wanna be boxer. I thought we were working shit out." He snapped back, not even trying to keep his voice low.

Embarrassed, she refused to meet the others' curious eyes. Grabbing his shirt, she yanked him into the office with her and shut the door. Turning the blinds closed, she waited until she was sure there wouldn't be an audience before turning to Juice. "You can't just blurt that shit out, Juice. We were never working things out. I told you this, _us_ , that's not happening. There isn't anything to work out here. We're just friends. Hell, I don't even know if we can even be that." She snapped, her frustration getting the better of her.

This wasn't easier for either of them, and her sleeping with Bash wasn't helping matters. She knew that, but she kept going back anyway. Juice was fuming, mostly because he knew this was bullshit. She was scared and didn't want to get hurt again. He didn't blame her after the shit he put her through, but that didn't change things between them. They were meant to be together. He knew that for a fact.

"That kiss said otherwise, Savannah. I know you felt what I did." He snapped back, not knowing why they had to do this.

He didn't understand why they couldn't just move past this. Why she had to go and sleep with another guy. It wasn't like if he slept with a croweater. She kept going back, and that made it hard to ignore that she wanted this guy. Every time he knew she'd gone to see him, it made him more and more pissed off. He wanted to hurt her like she was hurting him, but where would that get him? Nowhere. It'd just ruin any progress they'd made since she got back.

"Maybe I did, but I can't, Juice. I can't feel that with you again. It hurts too much. Alright? Is that what you want to hear? You hurt me!" She finally snapped, the pent of rage leaking out.

"Sav, I-"

"No!" She cut him off. "No, it wasn't me that pushed you away, Juice. You did that! You pushed me away and I was trying to hold on, but I couldn't. I tried to let you go and then I come back and you're here. You're everywhere and I can't . . . I can't do this. Yes we kissed, and yes I felt something, but we can't be together the way you want. I'm sorry, Juice. I-I'm sorry, but we can't. I told you it was just friends, take it or leave it. Obviously you made the wrong choice." She said, grabbing her bag before she stormed outside.

He stood there, not knowing what to say. His heart said to go after her, but his feet wouldn't listen. He wasn't moving, and she was getting further and further away. He'd screwed everything up. She was slipping through his fingers, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He heard the squealing of her tires as she sped out of the lot. Moving to the door, he got there just in time to see her turning left and leaving down the street.

Jax, Tara, and Gemma were all watching him with a confused expression, as were a few hang around by the clubhouse. He just rubbed his face, trying to think of what he could do. Sighing, he knew there wasn't anything he could do. Maybe wait for her to cool down and come back, but he wasn't sure if that would work. One thing he knew for sure though, was that he'd screwed up majorly and it might have caused him his chance of getting Savannah back.

#$%^&

Savannah felt better as she took a sip of her ice coffee, sighing in contempt as the liquid went down her throat. Coffee was her drug of choice, something she and Lily had bonded over when they first started drinking it back in high school. The two had been enjoying their drinks while catching up. From college, to how they returned to their home town, they talked about almost everything. Juice was an unspoken topic. Savannah couldn't bring herself to share that with Lily just yet.

"So, what's been going with you? How's your love life going? You and Hale finally do the dirty yet?" Savannah teased, grinning when she saw her friend blush.

Lily and Hale had been a will they won't they couple since high school. She wanted him, but he wanted the badge more. He knew Unser wouldn't pick him as his second if he was involved with Lily. Given that Hale was now deputy cheif, it was clear what choice he made. It had to be hard for Lily to work for him all day. "Oh, um, no. We've never . . . um, I've actually been talking with one of the Sons lately." Lily confessed, trying to hide her blush as she brushed her hair back.

Savannah looked surprised, not having expected that. Lily was a good girl, she'd never been interested in any of the guys. Jax had tried it once, but Lily had turned him down. She wasn't sure if she'd ever laughed harder. It wasn't often her brother got turned down. Still, she was curious about which Son caught her eye. "I didn't think you went for outlaw biker, Lil. Jax will be crushed." She teased, trying not to sound too curious. She didn't want to spook her old friend.

Lily smiled weakly, her blush darkening on her cheeks. "I mean, not these past couple of weeks, but before you got back. He's probably been busy, I'm sure. He's sweet though." Lily said, growing more flustered by the second.

Savannah tried to rack her brain to figure out who could have caught her friend's interest but the only one who came to mind was Half Sack. Jax was not only in the middle of a divorce, but he was starting things with Tara Knowles. If he hadn't already, he would be soon enough anyway. Opie was married to Donna and they had kids. Lily wasn't the type to go after a married man either. The others were too old or too rough for someone like Lily. That left the prospect.

"Well, Half Sack's not that bad. He's . . . well, he's got quirks but he's nice. Cute." Savannah started to say.

"Not Half Sack, Savannah. I mean Juice." Lily stopped her, blushing again when she saw Savannah's surprise.

Lily mistook Savannah's stunned expression for surprise when it was actually something entirely different. She was surprised, of course, but only because she hadn't considered Juice as an option. "Oh, uh, th-that's, um, wow. Are you sure?" Savannah asked, thrown completely into left field. Lily looked stunned, causing Savannah to realize her error. "Sorry, just . . . Juice is, well, he's not really your type, Lil." Savannah said, not realizing she was just shoving her heel even further into her mouth.

Lily lowered her head, embarrassed as she brushed her hair back behind her ear. She hadn't expected that responce. She thought Savannah would be happy she was learning more toward an outlaw then a cop. She was hoping that would help mend their friendship. "I-I don't know. He's not like the others. He's sweet, and he's funny. We've gone to dinner a few times. Nothing fancy, just the diner. He's . . . I don't know, just different from what you'd expect from a biker." Lily tried to explain, but she had no idea Savannah already knew exactly what she was talking about.

Savannah felt sick with guilt. Lily really liked Juice, more than she'd heard her like anyone else since David Hale. She wanted her friend to be happy, but did it have to be Juice? She couldn't like Half Sack or hell, even a damn Mayan? It'd be complicated, but she'd be fully in support of it. Just . . . anyone but Juice. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I was just, um, just surprised you liked one of the guys. You were so against it in high school." She lied, forcing a smile even when all she wanted to do was scream and tell her she couldn't have him.

Lily looked almost relieved. She wanted Savannah to support this. If things worked out between her and Juice, it meant she and Savannah could rebuild their friendship. They'd hang out more and there wouldn't be as big a wall in between them. With her dad and Hale being on one side of the law and Savannah and her family being on the other side of it, it made being friends hard. She'd always hated it, but there was nothing she could do to fix it. Maybe now there was.

"I just don't know why he's been avoiding me." Lily confessed, brushing her hair back. It was nervous habit of hers, always had been. Something just didn't change.

Savannah looked guilty, but tried to mask her guilt so Lily wouldn't know she was the reason Juice had been avoiding her. They'd almost fucked in the garage. Juice wasn't a bad guy. He wouldn't two time them. He'd chosen her, and just hadn't told Lily. Not that that was any better, but she knew he hated hurting people. "I think, um, I think the guys have been busy lately. I'm sure that's it." She lied again. She couldn't meet Lily's gaze, she knew if she did her eyes would betray her.

Lily looked relieved and it only broke Savannah's heart more. Her friend liked Juice a lot, and maybe he even liked her too before she came back into the picture. What if Juice had been starting to move on and her coming back fucked that up? His old feelings for her were clouding his new feelings for Lily. Maybe with a push from her, she could set things right? It was worth a shot.

"Um, I've got to go meet someone. Thanks for the coffee, Lil. I'll talk to Juice, tell him to get his head out of the clouds and call you." She said as she collected her things.

She needed to relax and forget about this mess for a little while. Between the fight with Juice, and now this mess with Lily, she was in over her head. She knew just how to fix that though, and he wasn't more than twenty feet from her. Bash was a good distraction from everything, she'd figured out after the first couple of times. Maybe that was why she couldn't seem to stop going to see him? She needed to get out of her head for a while, and he was the perfect way to do that.

%$^$^&%&*

It was early in the morning when Savannah finally got back to her house. She knew her ma was home, but she didn't see Clay's bike parked anywhere. Jax had texted her saying he'd be in Nevada for a couple of days. Maybe the entire club went? She didn't know, and she was so tired she honestly didn't care. Her body was sore, but in a good way thanks to Bash. Now she was just ready for bed.

The sound of her phone going off ruined that thought. Hurrying to pick up, she stepped back out onto front porch before putting it to her ear. "Whoever the hell this is better have a damn good reason for calling me at 2 in the morning." She hissed, her anger mostly coming from her exhaustion.

Juice's chuckle came over the phone, and she visably relaxed upon hearing it. "Damn, I forgot how big of a grouch you can be."

Savannah sighed, taking a seat on the ground and ran a hand through her hair. She was surprised he called her after their fight earlier in the day. "Why are you calling me so damn early, Juice? What's wrong?" She asked, the exhaustion bad enough he could even hear it in her voice.

"Did you know 2 grams of crank won't kill a dog?" He asked, taking her by surprise.

Of all the things she thought he'd say, _that_ was definitely not one of them.

"What did you do, Juice?" She asked, trying to fathom on what planet Juice could think it'd be okay to drug a dog with meth.

Juice was quiet for a few minutes, trying to think of what he could say to her that wouldn't come off sounding stupid. He wanted to fix their already rocky friendship, if it was even possible to do that. "I may or may not have drugged the guard dog at Unser's truck lot. Tig may or may not have gotten bitten in the ass." He said, glancing to Tig to make sure he was still asleep.

Savannah was stunned for a moment before she broke out in laughter. It was nice to hear her laugh, even if it was directed at him instead of with him. She covered her mouth, trying to quiet her laughing, but she was finding it harder said than done. It was a couple of minutes before she could control herself again. "I-I don't even know how to respond to that. Is Tig alright?" She asked, giggling at the thought of how it went down.

"Yeah, yeah, he's okay. Seriously pissed off at me, but he's not gonna die. I thought it would knock the thing out!" He said, trying to defend his mistake.

Savannah couldn't hide the smile on her face as she shook her head. Juice never ceased to amaze her. He was always keeping her on her toes, and this was just another way of him doing that. "It's an upper, Juice. I'm more surprised you didn't give the poor thing a heart attack!" She said, suddenly more awake than she was a moment ago. So much for her going right to bed, she thought to herself.

There was a few minutes of silence before Juice cleared his throat. "We gonna be alright?"

Savannah knew that was a loaded question. She wasn't any closer to forgiving him for hurting her, let alone trusting him not to do it again. Not only that, but now there was Lily to consider. He'd been starting to move on before she came back to town, and she was almost afraid to ask him why he gave up a fresh start with Lily to reharsh history with her. She wasn't going to ask him tonight, not when they were actually getting along, but she would soon.

"I'm not sure, Juice. I want to be, but . . . but it's never been that easy with us. I just . . . when are you guys getting back?" She asked instead, wanting to talk about anything else besides the status of whatever they were now.

Juice looked discouraged, not that she could see him, but he was. He wanted her to tell him they were okay. It would have been a start. He wasn't sure where they stood right now, and that scared him the most. "Um, probably tomorrow night. Latest the morning after. You miss me already, Savvy?" He teased, though there was a hint of a real question in there.

Biting her lip, she knew her answer could go two ways. Discourage him even more, or give him hope.

"Of course, Juice."


	10. Back To Memory Lane

_Thanks for the reviews! I'm happy and surprised you guys are liking not only Bash but Lily, the road will not be easy for them but I've got a happy ending in the making for them both don't worry. Well, as happy an ending SOA character can get lol Big thanks for Love Ink who helped me get this mess to look pretty and ready to be posted lol I hope you all enjoy and as always, reviews are always welcomed! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _PS! If anyone's curious about how Lily and Bash look I do have a vid now up to watch that feature them with Juice/Savannah if anyone wants to check that out. I'll see if I can get some pics up on my profile as well._

 _Chapter 10_

 _#$%$^$%$_

Savannah had been recruited to help her mom and the other ladies set up their booth for the town's little event. She was happy to help, and not just because her mom had threated to fire her from the garage. "Tell everyone to leave room for the buses." Gemma said as she got the plastic bowls ready while Savannah stirred the chili.

"Who we busing?" She asked her mom.

Gemma set down the bowls on the booth table and started laying them out for people to take when they got here. "Oakdale assisted living." She explained as she finished up and returned to the other table beside Savannah. The two shared a look, knowing the same thing when it came to the seniors. "Seniors are all compulsive gamblers, baby girl. Triples our raffle dollars. God bless social security." She reminded her as she continued to move around to finish up with the setting up of their booth. She shared a little smile with Luanne.

"Gemma." Another voice said out.

Savannah turned her head around as Gemma looked up to see one of the old wives from one of the club's ex members coming up to the booth. Savannah vaguely remembered her, she had been a teenager when she was around and didn't pay much attention to any of the wives or most of the guys in the club at the time. Her mom seemed to know exactly who she was though. "Oh, hey, April. Appreciate you coming to help." Gemma said to the woman on the other side of the table. Savannah didn't bother hiding her curiousness as she openly stared at her mom and the other woman.

She was trying so hard to put the name to the face, because something was familiar about her, but she was finding it harder said than done as she was drawing a blank on who she was to the club. "No problem. Can I ask you something?" She heard the other woman say to her mom.

Savannah was startled when Luanne tapped her arm to get her attention. She looked over to see her holding up forks, as if silently asking her to go and get more of them. She nodded and stopped what she was doing. "I'm gonna go get some extra forks and shit, ma. I'll be back in a little while." She said, touching her mom's arm to make sure she had her attention before she kissed both women's cheeks and headed out.

#^$#^$$

Savannah was looking around the town's little store for the plastic silverware. She knew as well as anyone how fast they went thanks to the chili. She was rounding the corner to head into the next aisle when she suddenly stopped. Lily was standing there, trying to decide between drinks. She hadn't been spotted, she could definitely just turn around and leave before she saw her.

"Oh, Savannah! Hey!" Lily said, smiling as she waved.

So much for _that_ plan.

Giving Lily her best smile, she adjusted her jacket before going over. "Hey, Lil."

The girls hugged briefly before Lily decided on a drink and smiled before putting it in her basket. Savannah glanced around and grabbed some plastic forks and spoons, pulling them in her own basket. "So, um, we're okay, right? It didn't dawn on me until later, but you seemed off last time we talked." Lily said after a minute of them standing in an uncomfortable silence.

Savannah wasn't sure what to tell her. Juice wasn't her boyfriend, he wasn't her anything really. He was barely even her friends, but the idea that he'd been in the process of dating Lily irked her for a reason beyond her knowledge. Maybe she did know, but she wasn't willing to admit it. "We're fine. Really." Lily didn't look convinced. Squeezing her hand, she gave her an actual smile this time. "I'm serious. You were my best friend, Lily. My only friend actually. I missed you." She said honestly.

Lily wasn't convinced at first, but after a moment she seemed to change her mind and believed her. Squeezing her hand back, Lily smiled and nodded. "Things have been hectic at the department with this new ATF agent. I don't know what case he and Hale are working on, but it's got my dad's feathers' ruffled." Lily said, knowing the Sons weren't sure why there was an ATF agent in town. She might not know details, but she could at least warn her friend to be careful.

Savannah appreciated the gestor. It wasn't anything she could bring to the club, but it was nice to have a heads up. Lily looked around, dropping some burger buns into her basket with some ketchup. Charming PD were charge of the grill like always. "He's there helping out. Gives me the major creeps." She said, shivering as if to further her point.

Savannah gave her friend a small smile, squeezing her arm. Looking around, she found some napkins and added it to her basket. The girls turned the corner and went on to the next aisle together. They were quiet for a few minutes before Lily finally got the nerve to ask Savannah what she'd been wanting to ask her. "I haven't seen Juice around in a while. Is he okay?" She asked nervously, looking to her friend for some kind of answer.

She knew if it was club related, Savannah couldn't tell her anything, but she could at least tell her if Juice was avoiding her or not. If he was alright. This was why Savannah had been trying to avoid her. She didn't want to talk about Juice with her. If she made a point of being against the pairing, she'd have to tell her why and she didn't want to do that. "Oh, um, he's just been out of town. Getting some, um, parts for the garage. He'll be home in another week or so." She said, fully knowing she hadn't given Lily the answer she was hoping for.

Savannah just wished she'd drop it, but it was never like Lily to drop anything. She was a curious girl, which would made her a great cop one day. "Is he, um . . . has he mentioned me? I don't suppose he would. I guess I'm just nervous. I really like him, Sav. I think . . . I don't know what I think, but I know I like him a lot. He makes me feel happy. I haven't felt like this in a long time, you know? Plus, he's a great kisser. Not pushy, but he definitely knows how to-"

"Oh, there's Tara! I should go, uh, check and see how Abel's doing. Jax's son. Um, I'll see you around, Lil." Savannah said, giving her friend a quick wave before hurrying over to the doctor's side.

Tara looked confused as she approached her. Savannah looped her arm around the doctor's and moved them forward into the next aisle. "What's going on, Savannah?" Tara whispered, looking around to see what had gotten her friend so riled up.

Savannah glanced back before going over to the register to check out. "I just wanted to see how Abel's doing. I haven't, um, been to see him since we last talked." Savannah said, giving Tara a forced smile as she crossed her arms.

Tara looked at her suspiciously, knowing it had to be more of that. She glanced back to see Lily Unser still shopping. It didn't make sense. Savannah and Lily were best friends, she wouldn't be avoiding her for no reason. If she really wanted to know about Abel, she'd either go herself or ask her brother. "He's, uh, he's getting better every day. Here, I can take a few of those." She said, taking the bags as Savannah paid and the two headed out.

"Thanks, Tara." Savannah said, holding the door open for the young doctor.

Tara waited until they were at Savannah's car before she turned on her. "You wanna tell me what that was really about?"

Savannah glanced back to make sure Lily wasn't going to be coming outside in the next few minutes. She didn't want to risk her overhearing them. She waited another few moments before deciding it was now or never and turning back to Tara. "Lily and Juice were seeing each other before I got back to town." She whispered. Tara just looked confused. "Juice and I almost . . . we almost fucked in the garage. We kissed and things got heated. How can I tell Lily that? She's head over heels and I screwed it all up." Savannah went on, filling in the blanks.

Tara realized what the issue was now. Savannah was feeling guilty. It was one thing if Juice and her got back together, but they weren't. She thought it was her fault Juice was missing out on a chance to move on from her. "What are you gonna do?" She asked, squeezing her arm to comfort her.

Savannah sat on the back fender, putting her hands on her knees as she dropped her head for a minute. She took a deep breath before looking up. "I have to let him go, Tara. Him and me? It won't work. I know it won't. He's better moving on with her than hoping out for false hope with me. Besides, I'm . . . I'm seeing . . . I don't know what we're doing but it's not with Juice, that's for sure." She confessed. She was happy to finally tell someone that wasn't Juice. He made her feel guilty for trying to move on. She was hoping Tara wouldn't.

Tara placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed, trying to show support for her friend. The two were in similiar situations, and Savannah was doing something Tara wished she could do. She was trying to move on. She'd tried to in Chicago, but that had blown up in her face. She cringe at the thought, but brushed it off. This wasn't about her, it was about Savannah and Juice. "Everything's gonna work out like it's supposed to, Sav. I know it's hard to move on, to trust someone after you've been hurt, but it happens." She said, giving Savannah a small smile.

"How can I trust anyone again? Juice hurt me so badly, Tara. When he . . . it was hard. I can't put my heart out there again. I don't want to get hurt again." She said, wiping away the tears in her eyes before they had the chance to fall.

Tara knew that feeling all too well, and all she could tell Savannah was that it'd get easier as time passed. If the right person came around, she'd know. They'd stick through her walls and break them down. She just had to let them. "It'll get better. I promise." She said, kissing her head before she straightened. "I have to head back to the hospital for the rest of my shift, but I'll be around later. You gonna be alright?" She asked, worried for her friend's sanity.

Savannah gave her a weak smile, clearing her throat as she stood and put away the last of the bags. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the talk, Tara."

Tara wasn't convinced Savannah was alright, but she couldn't push it. She sighed, reaching over and pulling her friend into an embrace. Savannah was hesitant at first, but finally took a deep breath before hugging her back. "It's gonna be alright. I promise." She said again, hoping to get through to her friend. Pulling back slightly, she gave Savannah a small smile and stroked her cheek.

Savannah would be okay. She was a Teller. When they got knocked down, they got right back up. She just have to believe that. With one last squeeze, Tara let her friend go and headed over to her Cutless. Savannah ran a hand through her hair and sighed, taking a deep breath before she got into her own car and drove back to the fundraiser.

#$^%^$%$

Savannah was headed back to the town center to get back to helping with the booth. She got there at the same time Jax, Tig, and Bobby, who she noticed was in his Elvis suit, were all showing up to help out. She parked beside their bikes and smiled teasingly at them as she got out with her shopping bag. "You're late, Elvis. Mom's gonna kill you." She said out happily as she fell in pace with Bobby and her brother. Jax spotted something and excused himself as he headed over to whatever it was, leaving Savannah to lead Bobby and Tig over to where they were suppose to go.

Bobby knew she was right, but it didn't help his mood. Tig seemed to be the only one in a joking mood as he tossed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she walked in step with him "Doesn't that make you the kettle, princess? Seeing as you're just getting here too." Tig said as he ruffled her hair with his other hand. Bobby looked back at them and just rolled his eyes as he hurried along to the booth the kids who were waiting for him in. He was suppose to help out by dressing them all as little Elvis'.

Savannah rolled her eyes as she hurried along and pointed which ways to turn so they could get there quicker. "I was already here, you idiot. I went out to get some more silverware since we didn't have enough." She explained as she held up the bag in her hands to show her proof.

They finally made it back to the booth, and Gemma, unfortunately for Bobby, was the first to spot them. "You're late, Elvis." She said out as she hurried to move around the table to meet them. Savannah held out the bags and Luanne took them from her, giving her a quick thanks before going back to handing out the bowls of chili.

Savannah just shook her head as she and Tig followed behind them as Gemma fell in pace with Bobby. The two were fine with just letting Bobby dig himself out of the hole he had dug himself with Gemma. "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get this into a helmet?" He said with a huff as he hurried around to get to the booth someone else had set up for him.

"The kids are waiting." Gemma reminded him.

He looked back at the queen and sighed. He didn't need her reminding him how late he was for this thing. "I know, I know, I know." He said as he stopped just before the going inside his little tent covered area where the kids were all waiting for him to show up. He took a deep breath before heading inside. "Bless my soul. Oh, look at all god's children. So, tell me. Who wants to look like Elvis." He said, now speaking in his Elvis voice as he greeted the kids. The other three watched on as the kids sitting around the table all erupted in cheers, raising there hands up in excitement to be picked to go first.

#^$%$%^

A few hours had passed and Savannah was wondering around, just taking in the pleasures of looking around at the other booths. She loved this fundraiser, it was always so much fun. She remembered telling Juice some of the crazy stories she remembered from past years. Her favorite one had been the first year she remembered doing the egg toss with her dad. They hadn't been very good. Opie and Jax had won. But her dad made sure she had fun. Even if he ended up covered in egg.

"Hey, shorty."

Savannah turned around, smiling when she saw Opie. It was the first time she'd seen him since he went in. "Opie, hey!" She said, reaching up on the tips of her toes to hug him.

Guilt had been nagging on her since she'd been home, but she couldn't think of a good time to go see him. Things had been crazy in her life, and she was sure he wasn't have a walk in the park either being home after being away for so long. Now here they were, finally reunited, and it was great. He kissed her cheek before letting her go. "What have you been up to?" He asked, giving her a quick look over.

She'd definitely grown up since he last saw her. She'd matured, and it looked good on her. She could say the same thing about him. "This and that. Saw the world, got bored, came home to Charming. I missed my Chewie." She teased, reminding him of the year the four of them had gone as Star Wars characters for Halloween. He'd obviously been Chewbecca, Jax was Luke, Savannah was Leia, and Thomas had been R2-D2.

He chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. An awkward silence fell over them, and neither knew how to break it. Savannah shifted from one foot to the other, blowing her hair out of her face. "So . . . how was Chino?" She asked, not knowing what else to ask. She mentally scolded herself for asking such a stupid question.

Opie's laughter caught her by surprise. "Seriously, Sav?"

Blushing, she rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged. So breaking the ice wasn't her strong suit. This was why she had Jax, he was better at it. "I know. I know, stupid question. Um, you and Jax lookin' to reclaim your former glory and win the egg toss?" She asked, giggling as she nudged him.

Opie chuckled, shaking his head. Savannah was still the girl he knew. She'd grown up, sure, but she was still the same girl he grew up with. She could cut her hair, grow boobs, wear heels, but she'd always be the little girl he and Jax convinced sex was awful to in the treehouse. She'd always been the girl who rode on the back of his bike when she was convinced Jax would purposely go too fast to scare her.

The two started walking together, just catching up one the other's life. As nervous as she'd been to see Opie, she was glad she'd finally done it. She missed the big lumberjack, and he'd missed her too. Jax spotted them from the Chili stand and was relieved. Maybe catching up with Savannah was just what Opie needed to keep from killing Kyle. They were just lucky Savannah hadn't caught sight of the idiot, or else they'd have more issues. Savannah never got her chance to give Kyle a piece of her mind. Maybe that was the best.

"Was wondering when those two would finally talk. She's been avoiding it for weeks." Gemma said behind him.

Jax nodded in acknowledgement. He knew Opie had been doing the same. He didn't know what to say to her, much like she didn't know what to say to him. This was just the kind of event they needed to push them to talk. "Yeah, I know. He missed her. Hopefully she'll cheer him up a little. I think he's not as confident as he thought he'd be with Kyle being here." Jax said, glancing over his shoulder to share a look with his mom.

Gemma sighed, nodding in agreement. She placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed before looking around. "Her head's been all twisted up over Juice. It'll be good for her that he's away for a bit." She said as she cleaned up the table.

Jax looked at her confused, not realizing Sav had been having any trouble with Juice. He knew she did at first, but he thought they got over it. "Last I heard she chewed him out in the garage. Figured they weren't even trying to play nice anymore." He said, glancing back at his sister curiously.

Gemma scoffed, giving him a look. "Please. The sexual tension coming off those two? It's amazing they haven't screwed around yet. Love like the kind they had? It doesn't just die, Jax. He's messing with her head, just like that doctor is doing to you."

Jax tensed at the mention of Tara. He was sick of his mother bad mouthing her, and he didn't need to know anything concerning his sister's sex life either. He still had the memory of Juice buck naked while he railed Savannah burned in his mind. "Don't start, ma. Just leave them alone, and leave Tara alone too. I mean it." He said, shooting her a look before he grabbed a plate and headed over to talk to Donna.

Gemma sighed, watching him go. He had blinders on when it came to Tara and it was gonna get him hurt. It was the same with Savannah and Juice, and she wasn't about to let her kids get themselves hurt again by the same people. She'd just have to intervene, whether they wanted her to or not.

%$^$$&^&

Night had fallen and Savannah stood inside of Lumpy's gym, watching the current fight going on. She had pulled the sides of her hair up, keeping it out of her face. She hadn't wanted to stick around for the fireworks. So she went to the clubhouse and changed before heading over to the gym. Wearing sweat pants and a tank, she fit right in with the crowd. Her dark eyes were focused on one of the fighters in particular, her eyes watching ever punch and kick he landed on his opponent.

Bash was a good foot and a half taller than her. His black hair was short, for once not spiked up since he was wearing his head gear. Under his white wifebeater, she knew he hid a six pack. He wasn't cut like Juice had been before in New York, a bit more beefy like Juice was now, but she didn't mind. He was in shape, and he looked good. The man had some stubble, not something she was a fan of, but also not a deal breaker either.

The match ended soon enough and Savannah couldn't help the smirk that appeared when Bash came over and leaned against the rope. "I didn't think you'd show up today." He said, his eyes taking her in hungrily.

She shrugged, like she hadn't hurried from the fundraiser to get over here. Lumpy's gym was soon becoming her usual hangout when she wasn't at the clubhouse. She refused to acknowledge that fact though. This wasn't a _thing_ , she'd tell herself repeatedly. It was just . . . _something_. Something to get her over Juice, she told herself as well. She wasn't ready for it to be anything other than that.

"Well, what can I say? I got a thing for older guys." She said, tilting her head as she looked him over with the same hungry look he'd given her.

"Lumpy's a lucky guy." He teased.

He wouldn't tell her, but he liked to make her laugh. The sound of her laugh made him want to laugh with her. He expected nothing less from a Teller. The Tellers had a certain appeal to them. Climbing between the ropes, he hopped down from the ring and closed the space in between them. She let him pull her against him, his hands holding her there as they rested on her hips.

She didn't mind the fact he was sweating, she was sure she smelled like chili and motoroil from the the fundraiser and the garage. Smiling up at him, she hated the fact her heart seemed to beat faster when he held her this close to him. It was just a normal body reaction, she'd lie to herself. It couldn't be because she felt anything for this man, she refused to accept that thought. Regardless, she smiled up at him still and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I mean, you're not awful to look at either." She teased, as if she was really just settling for him.

Which, in a way, she was. She'd never tell him that though.

He chuckled, nuzzling her neck. His nose nuzzling against her tickled her neck, making her bite her lip to keep from giggling. His scruff wasn't helping the matter. It only tickled her skin more. "We goin' back to my place or yours?" He asked, pressing a few kisses to her skin, his teeth scraping her earlobe.

Her eyes closed, her breathing hitched, as a shiver ran down her spine. Her fingers gripped his back for a second, her control slipping through her fingers. This was their usual dance. They'd tease each other, sometimes he'd help her practice her boxing, and it always ended up with them going somewhere for a few minutes alone. "You know neither is gonna happen, Ricky Ricardo." She said, pulling away from him to grab her jacket.

Going to his place was too personal, more personal than she wanted to get. She'd invited Juice into her home, and look how well that ended? Besides, the last thing she needed was them bumping into Gemma and her asking questions. Zippering her jacket, she scolded herself for thinking of Juice again. When she thought of him and remembered where she was, who she was with, she felt dirty. Like she was cheating. Shaking her head, she tried not to think about that.

"Worth a shot. Dinner out of the question too? Cause I'm starving for a burger." He said while he started taking off his gear and putting it away in his gym bag.

Hesitating, she took a moment to consider his offer before she shook her head. It felt too much like a date, and she knew for a fact he'd pay for her before she even got thought to get some cash out. Sebastian Samuels, Bash as she liked to call him, was an old fashioned man. Not like club old fashioned, but he had manners and kept to tradition. The result of growing up in Charming. He was closer to Kozik's age than hers, but it worked for them.

He looked disappointed in her answer, but he was expecting it by now. She wasn't one for anything that even remotely seemed like a date. He barely got her to get take out with him most of the time. He wasn't sure why she was so opposed to the idea of a date, but he'd give her the space she needed. He wasn't looking for anything serious any more than she was, so it worked for them so far.

Sighing, he slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and nodded. Leaning over, he kissed her head before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'll drive you home. No argument." He said, giving her a look to not even start. He knew she had walked here, the garage was only a few blocks away. He wasn't about to make her walk home.

"Fine." She huffed, acting as if it was annoyance for her when he knew it wasn't.

He knew she liked when he drove her home. While it wasn't a long ride from here to her home, somehow it still took them an hour every time. He opened the passenger side door for her, letting her inside before he dropped his gym bag into the backseat. Closing her door once she was in, he jogged around to the other side and slide in. He'd only just got comfortable when she shifted around in her seat.

Her hand slipped down under the waistband of his sweats, slipping into his boxer where she grabbed him. He jolted at the feel of her cold hand, before groaning when she started running her hand up and down his length. He reached up and cupped the back of her head, pulling her over so he could kiss her. "You're the devil." He mumbled between kisses, his grip tightening on her hair.

"I know." Savannah said with a smirk.

She bit his lip playfully before she leaned back in her seat, her hand leaving his pants. He groaned in annoyance, already missing the feel of her hand on him. He looked over at her, hunger in his eyes as he watched her slip off her jacket. "Sav," He said, his voice husky when he noticed her stripping off her sweat pants and underwear.

Glancing over at him, she winked and pulled her tank top off as well, leaving her in just her bra. Her eyes swept over him and huffed when she realized he'd been too busy drooling over her to get the hint that he should undress as well. "You know, this works better without pants and a condom." She said, giggling when he snapped out of his trance.

Clearing his throat, he nodded and reached into his gym bag for the box of condoms he kept in there just for this occasion. Once he had one, he pushed his seat back and yanked his pants down, his boxers following. Rolling it on, his eyes never left hers. It felt like forever before he finally had it on. "Get over here." He growled, helping her climb into his lap.

"Yes, sir." She giggled, leaning down to kiss his neck.

Sighing, he laid back against his seat, his hand slipping in between them. She was already wet for him, and he couldn't help but grin when he heard the whine leave her lips. He didn't have to play with her for long before she dug her nails into his arm. "Stop playing and fuck me, Bash." She groaned, her head rested against his as she lifted her hips with his hand.

That got a chuckle from him, one that earned him a glare from her. Removing his hand, he didn't miss the whine that resulted. She already missed the feeling of him being inside of her. Lining up with her entrance, he carefully lowered her onto him. A groan left them both when he filled her. "Fuck, Savannah." He moaned, gripping her hips as he thrusted up. She met him thrust to thrust, the sensation from this angle driving them both insane.

He flipped her bra cup down, taking one of her breasts into his palm while the other gripped her waist and guided her into a pace he'd set. A gasp left her lips when he pinched her nipple between his fingers. Leaning up, he swallowed the gasp as he kissed her. Her fingers ran through his hair, her grip tightening when he send shocks of pleasure through her. His hand slipped further down from her waist, palming her ass before pulling her closer to him.

"Fuck," She gasped, her thrusts becoming quicker as the bubble formed in her lower area.

His thrusts were becoming choppier, his groans growing louder in her ear, signalling he was getting close too. It wasn't long before he hit his climax, gripping her tightly in his arms as she road out her own climax. As she finished, her body collapsed onto his, panting into his neck as she tried to slow her heart beat. Both of their bodies were covered in sweat, but neither noticed. "That was . . . great." She breathed out, smirking when she saw his offended look at her wording. "Fantastic, I mean. Is that better?" She giggled, kissing him before she slipped away from him and fell back into her own seat as she caught her breath.

Bash chuckled, shaking his head as he disposed of the used condom and pulled his pants back on. He ran a hand through his hair, attempting to tame the black locks back down. Glancing over, he saw her getting redressed too, trying to tame her hair even though it was useless. She'd need an actual hair brush to tame her hair. "You sure you don't want to go for that burger?" He asked as he put the key into the ignition and turned on the car.

Glancing over, he saw the conflict on her face. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, but he knew she had to have worked up an appetite if she wasn't already hungry. The sound of her stomach rumbling only confirmed that. Raising his brow at her, he dared her to tell him she wasn't hungry after that. Sighing, she leaned back into her seat and zipped her jacket back up. "Fine, but I better get a milkshake too." She said, finally looking over at him.

That made him laugh as he pulled out of his packing spot and started driving to the closest diner. "I think I can do that."

Yeah, he had no idea why it always took so long to get her home _at all_.


	11. Back To The Triangle Square

_Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking the story so far and omg your ideas are great you guys! I love hearing your ideas! Big thanks to Love Ink for all the help she's given me and I can't thank her enough times for it lol If you haven't checked out her story Hands All Over, you're insane and need to! JUST DO IT! lol I couldn't resist! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 11_

 _#$%^% &*%*_

Half Sack and Savannah were joking around the garage when they noticed an old Ford pick up pull into the lot. Savannah straightened up, she'd know that truck anywhere. She'd only driven in it to school the two years of high school. Half Sack noticed her distracted and glanced over to the truck. "Who's that?" He asked, watching as the brunette climbed out of the truck.

She was nice to look at. Her hair was a dark brown, almost black color, and it fell down past her shoulders to her hips in curls. Her skin was a dark mocha color, maybe a little lighter. She was taller than Savannah, but not by much. He wondered what she smelled like. He was jolted from his thoughts when Savannah elbowed him. "Stop drooling. That's Unser's daughter, prospect. Definitely out of your league. Finish this and bring those to my mom. I'll be back." She said, tossing the rag at him before wiping her hands on her jeans and going over to meet Lily half way.

Lily looked relieved when she spotted her. She was out of place here, not really knowing anyone other than her, Opie, and Jax. She knew Gemma too, but only as her friend's mother. The two met and hugged briefly before heading over to the garage. "I didn't think I'd see you here." Savannah said, linking her arms with Lily's.

The brunette shrugged a shoulder, giving her a quick smile. "I didn't have work. I figured I'd come bug you."

Savannah had a feeling there was another reason she'd come, and it had to do with a tattoo'd idiot with a Cheshire grin they both had feelings for. Thankfully Juice wasn't back yet, but she knew he was due back any time now. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Half Sack." She said, giving her a teasing wink before looking over to the prospect. "Half Sack, this is Lily Unser. Lil, this is Half Sack. Don't ask why he's got that name, you really don't want to know." She said, looking between them.

If she was being honest, Savannah secretly hoped Lily's attention would hop from Juice to Half Sack. She could handle that better. She knew it was a long shot. Half Sack blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously before holding out his other hand toward her. "Uh, nice to meet you." He said, flashing her his best smile.

Lily smiled back, taking his hand with hers hand shaking it. "Nice to meet you too."

The two stood there for a long moment before Half Sack cleared his throat and dropped her hand. He shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly. "Well, uh, I need to get these to Gemma. I'll, uh, I'll see you guys around." He said, stumbling as he grabbed the papers and headed toward the office.

Savannah watched as Lily's eyes followed the prospect and how he looked back over his shoulder at her. It worked! She was about to talk up the prospect to her friend when she noticed an oil truck driving in. Her heart dropped, knowing exactly who was driving. He had awful timing, as always. Glancing at her friend, she noticed her watching the truck now. She'd seen a glance of the driver and suddenly Half Sack was forgotten.

Well, _fuck_.

She saw Juice pulling into a spot with the truck. She froze when she saw he wasn't alone. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as she watched as the girl dropped down from the passenger seat of the truck, shutting the door behind her. She didn't know what to do as she just stood there. He wouldn't be that stupid, but then again yes he would be. Glancing at Lily, she saw the same expression on her face. "Whew, it's good to be . . ." She heard him start to say from where she was standing.

"What the hell is she doing here, huh?" Clay snapped lowly as he and Jax approached.

The girls watched as Clay grabbed Juice from the back of neck, making him cringe. She knew she shouldn't just stare, she should bring Lily inside or something, but she couldn't. Was this Juice getting back at her for Bash? She thought they were okay after that phone call. Savannah knew good and well he would be getting plenty of attention during his stay at Jury's, but she never thought he'd be stupid enough to bring one back for the ride. "She told me she was getting out in Bakersfield." Juice tried to explain.

He knew it was a bad idea to bring her, but he wasn't thinking when he told her it was fine to come along. He really had to work on saying no to girls. At least he hadn't slept with this one. His eyes flickered over to the garage and he felt his heart stop. As if his luck couldn't get worse, both Lily and Savannah were watching. He didn't know how this could get worse. He had no doubt Savannah at least knew about him and Lily. Shit, he'd have to talk to her.

The girl grabbed hold of Clay's wrist, making him let go of Juice. Savannah eyes flickered from Juice to Lily and then over to the office to see Half Sack watching on with the same hurt expression as they were. As if it couldn't get worse, she could see her mom behind him watching as well. "Clay, it's not his fault, okay? I know I'm not suppose to be here. Let me go talk to someone." The sweetbutt asked, but there was no way in hell Clay was letting that happen.

"You talk to somebody in some other charter. You got that, sweet butt?" Clay growled before turning to Juice. "Get her the hell outta here now." he snapped before turning and walking away from them.

Savannah looked now confused as to why Clay was so upset. She looked over at Half Sack again and suddenly got it. Sort of. Half Sack must have met her during their run to Nevada and clicked with her. Glancing back at Clay, she had a feeling Half Sack wasn't the only one. That was the only reason she could think of for Clay's anger toward her being there. He didn't want her ma to know, though it was too late now. Her ma wasn't stupid, she'd put two and two together soon enough, if she didn't already.

Jax looked over and spotted her. He saw the heartbroken look on his sister's face and felt his fists clench. He hadn't hurt just Savannah though, he knew Clay had slept with that particular sweetbutt and it was going to hurt his ma too. How stupid could Juice be? "What are you thinking, man?" He snapped as he smacked him off the back of the head.

"What was I suppose to do? Throw her out of the cab?" Juice said, but Jax didn't want to hear it as he walked off. "Let's go." He snapped, turning his attention to the sweetbutt as he grabbed a hold of her hand and started to pull her way. She pulled her arm out of his hold and stopped when she caught sight of Half Sack.

Juice looked over to where Savannah and Lily were standing. He had no idea what he was going to say to either of them. He'd been hoping if he avoided Lily long enough she'd move on and forget about him. Obviously he was wrong. He'd have to think of something to tell them later on, but first he had to get the girl out of here before Clay had his head. He back tracked and grabbed the girl's arm again, trying to get her to follow this time. She seemed to be more welcoming to the idea of leaving now, which almost surprised him. "Get me out of here." She said as she hurried on to follow after him.

Savannah was speechless watching them leave. Her gaze went to the office, and she knew she should go talk to her mom, but she didn't want to leave Lily out here alone. Shit, Lily. It was no mystery she was hoping to see Juice, but she doubted her friend wanted to see him with another girl. "I'm sure he was just giving her a lift, Lil. Why don't you go find him and talk to him? I gotta talk to my mom." She said, touching her arm with a small smile.

Lily hesitate before nodding. "Yeah, um, alright. I hope your mom's okay." She said, squeezing her arm before heading toward the clubhouse. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to Juice, but she was dying for some answers.

$%##^%$^%$

After dropping Cherry off somewhere in town, Juice trudged his way to his dorm room. He was tired after a long drive back, and he wasn't looking forward to explaining himself to Savannah. Not about the sweetbutt, but about Lily. He should have known they were friends back in the day. He could even vaguly remember her mentioning a Lily to him a couple times back in New York.

Opening his door, he paused at the sight of Lily sitting on his bed. He didn't know what to say to her either. Had Savannah told her about their past? Somehow, he knew she hadn't or else Lily wouldn't be here in his room right now. "What are you doing here?" He asked, not meaning to sound as mean as he did.

Lily lifted her head, confusion in her eyes. "I, um . . . Sav said I should talk to you. Y-you weren't back yet so Opie said I could wait for you in here. I'm sorry for just showing up, I just . . . I wanted to talk to you."

He felt a pang of hurt upon hearing Savannah told her to come talk to him, but he tried to ignore it. He knew what questions were coming, and he wasn't sure he could answer them. It wasn't that he didn't like Lily, he did. He'd been really into her before Savannah came back to town, but when he saw Savannah . . . it was like his past was coming back to give him the chance he'd been denied before. How could he explain that to her though? He couldn't, not without unburying all the old history between him and Savannah.

He felt like an ass, and he knew he was one. He'd tried to just drop Lily as if it'd never happened, but he wasn't like the other guys. He knew they could do it with no problem, but he wasn't like them. He couldn't be that much of a jackass. "I'm sorry for not callin' you. Things got hectic here for a while." He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "How, uh, how you been?" He asked lamely.

Lily looked nervous as she fidgeted with her sleeves, her gazed locked on the floor as she worked up the courage to ask him what she wanted to ask him so badly. She'd been playing it out in her head, but now that he was here she couldn't remember. "I've been fine." She said softly, letting an awkward silence fall over them.

"I have to-"

"Were you just messing with me, Juice?" She suddenly said, cutting him off as her head finally lifted. "Was I a game to you? You got bored and thought 'hey, I should play with the police chief's daughter' and then got bored?"

Juice looked guilty, shifting his gaze to the floor. "It wasn't a game, Lil. I'm not like that."

He honestly liked Lily a lot, he did, but he knew he still loved Savannah. When she came back, he knew he'd only end up hurting the chief's daughter if he continued anything with her. He'd took the coward's way out though, and that was blowing up in his face now.

Lily hesitated before standing and moving in front of him. He refused to meet her eyes, not wanting her to see his guilt. She reached up and stroked his cheek. Biting her lip, she seemed to debate something over in her head before she leaned up and caught his lips with hers. He was stunned for only a second before he returned the kiss. Pulling back slightly, she rested her head against his and smiled. "I forgot how good that was." She said softly, lifting her eyes to meet his.

He could see the hunger in her dark eyes, sturing something awake inside of him. He'd been with a few girls the past couple of weeks, and Lily was just another distraction. He'd known that the second they started this. While he liked her, he never got the same feeling he got when he was with Savannah. His heart tugged at the reminder Savannah had sent her in here to talk to him. He didn't want to think about her right now.

So he did what he usually did when he didn't want to think about something. He closed the space between him and Lily, kissing her roughly as he pulled her against him. She squeaked in surprised, not expecting the sudden reaction, but she met his kiss as eagerly. He let his hands slip down, squeezing her thighs before he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around him as he walked her over to the dresser, setting her down on top of it.

His hands went to her shorts, trying to get them undone so he could pull them off. When it became too much too fast for Lily, she pushed him back. Breathing hard, she shook her head and hopped down. "Whoa, just . . . slow down. I'm not a toy, Juice. You can't just blow me off and then fuck me when you feel like." She said while she adjusted her shirt.

He at least had the decency to look apologentic. He had to remember she wasn't a sweetbutt who would just let him work out his frustration on her. She was a good girl, she was different then the usual girls he hooked up with after Savannah, and that was why he liked her. "Sorry, um, I'm just having an off day." He said, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat on his bed.

Lily hesitated before sitting beside him. She slipped her hand into his and entwined their fingers, giving him a small smile. It reminded him that she wasn't just someone he could fuck and then drop. She'd been his friend first. The guys had been dicks to him, for obvious reasons, when he first showed up. She gave him the time of day and showed him around town when she didn't have to. They'd only just started really seeing each other before Savannah came home and now they were here.

"Hey, uh, I'm sorry." Juice said, clearing his throat when he saw Lily's confused expression. He knew he'd have to further explain. "For ghosting you. It wasn't fair to you. I just . . . shit from my past came back and I . . . I don't know. Needed to figure it out." He said, hoping she didn't ask to know what exactly he was talking about.

He was thrown for a loss when she pressed her lips against his cheek. He turned his head slightly, the surprise clear in his brown eyes. "It's alright. I'm not mad, Juice. Just . . . don't treat me like one of those girls. You can make it up to me by taking me out to dinner some time soon." She said, giving him a chaste kiss before she stood up.

Juice didn't let her hand go, he just raised his head to look at her. He knew he should have said no, told her he was still trying to figure his past out, but he gave her a weak smile instead. "Dinner sounds nice." He said, giving her a small nod. She smiled back, squeezing his hand before she let him go and headed towards the door.

She had just pulled it open when Half Sack reached up to knock. He seemed surprised to find Lily in Juice's room, but if he was upset over it he didn't show it. Lily blushed when he simply looked between them before slipping by him and heading towards the exit. His eyes followed her until she was out of sight before he cleared his throat and looked back to Juice, who didn't seem to appreciate him looking at Lily the way he was. "You need something, prospect?" He asked, bumping shoulders with him as he left the room.

Half Sack groaned, not needing another reason to hate today. He hadn't meant to piss Juice off. He wasn't even sure what he'd done. As far as he knew, Juice was all about Sav. Not the police chief's daughter. "Uh, y-yeah. Chibs is back. Clay called for church, said to come and find you." He said, following him back to the main room.

Juice got to the end of the hall before stopping and turning around. "Lily is off limits to you, prospect. You're out of her league, so don't even try it."

Half Sack looked surprised, but quickly nodded his head. He held up his hands in peace, not wanting to give Juice a reason to get back at him. When Juice was satisfied, he turned back to head to the chaple for church. "Wh-what about Savannah?" Half Sack asked, though immediately regretted it when Juice turned faster than he thought possible, seething now.

"What about Savannah?" He snarled, his hands clenched at his sides.

Half Sack at least had enough brains to look nervous. Taking a step back, he put as much space between him and Juice as he could. "Well, uh, I just figured since, yo-you know, you're seeing Unser's kid and all, where's that leave you and Sav?" He wasn't sure how he'd managed to get it out without getting sucker punch, but he was still standing. That was a good sign.

Juice suddenly grabbed him by his kutte and slammed him into the wall behind them. Half Sack was quick to hold his hands up in surrender. He'd thought too soon. "Get this thrrough your skull, prospect. Savannah's none of your business, and neither is Lily. Just . . . just stay outta my shit and do as you're told." He said before pushing off of him and heading to the chapel.

#$%^&%

After she saw Lily leaving, a smile on her face, Savannah knew her conversation with Juice had gone well. She didn't need her friend to confirm it, her tusseled hair, showing signs of being run through by fingers, did that for her. She'd had it done to her own hair enough times to know the signs of being kissed good and well. She was working on tuning up an old volkswagen that had come in earlier when Half Sack came out.

"Hey, Sav. Don't suppose you know where your ma keeps the number to the septic tank guy, do ya?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Savannah straightened as she put her wrench down, her nose crinkled in disgust. "Did Piney already fill the tanks? That guy has stomach issues, I swear." She said, wiping her hands on a rag before heading into the office.

Half Sack was right behind her, his eyes only flickering to her jean clad ass before remembering Juice's threat. It wasn't like he was really interested in Savannah, he wasn't. Too much baggage came with her, but he could appreciate a nice ass when he saw one. "Nah, uh, someone's flushin' nice panties." He said, chuckling when he saw her pause and look back with an expression crossed between curious and disgusted.

"I don't even know what to say to that."She said, cringing at the thought before she looked over again. "Is it weird I wanna see what they look like?"

Half Sack couldn't help the laugh that jumped out of his throat. She'd definitely been around the guys for too long. "I tossed them. They were nice red ones though. Lacy, kind of like the ones you wear, but . . . you know, they're red. Shit, uh," He wanted to smack himself for saying it. Savannah just looked more amused by the second. "Fuck, I mean, um, not that I look to see what your, uh, panties look like. Um, I mean-"

"It's alright, Kipper. Here's the number." She laughed, passing him the right card.

Half Sack smiled in thanks, nodding his head before he turned to head back to the clubhouse to get started on cleaning out the bathroom. Savannah shook her head laughing before she went back to work. Only a few minutes went by before she noticed a few cars driving into the lot. A few of them being police cruisers. Her body tensed up, hoping someone was watching the cameras and saw them.

She put away her tools and wiped the new grease off of her hands before moving around the table to go meet up with their new guests. She watched on as a woman climbed out of the car first. She seemed higher up, and the fancy suit gave it away that she wasn't just some Charming P.D officer. "And what can I do for you nice men today? David, always nice to see you." Savannah said over as she met them halfway. The woman lowered her sun glasses and looked her over, as if she was sizing her up. Savannah felt insulted as the woman merely scoffed and went past her.

Savannah gritted her teeth and turned to follow after her. She was walking toward the club as if she owed the place. Savannah felt her anger spike as the need to hit this woman went to high risk levels. "Now you're either the Feds or limo drivers." Clay said out as he and the others all came out from inside of the club house. Juice spotted Savannah and saw that she was seconds away from doing something that was sure to get her in trouble. He hurried past the others and appeared at her side, grabbing hold of her and pulling her to the side and back over to the guys.

"Agent Stahl, ATF." The stiff said as she made her way toward them.

The boys didn't seem to be impressed by her at all, which Savannah was happy about. She didn't know who this chick was, but no one dismissed her like she just did and got away with it. At least, not in one piece. Agent Stahl held up her badge to show the men in front of her proof of who she was, as she was suppose to. "I'm looking for the owner of Teller-Morrow automotive." She asked, looking down the line of men in front of her. Even when she probably had no clue who she was talking about, she sure acted like she knew exactly who she was talking to.

"That's me." Clay said, not having a clue as to what this was suppose to be about.

The group behind him looked around confused, none of them having a clue as to what this could be about. They hadn't done anything wrong, for once. At least, not bad enough to draw in the FED's attention. Not that they knew of anyway. "Come on." Hale said as he grabbed Clay from the side. "Lets go, Clay." He said as he took out his cuffs and started to put them on the older man, which left them all even more confused by what was going on. No one had even said what was the cause of this.

"You gonna bother mentioning a charge?" Clay asked the head bitch in charge the question they were all thinking.

She seemed almost smug now. Her grin made Savannah's blood boil even more as she clenched her fists at her sides. Juice was quick to pull her back again and whisper to her to cool down. The last thing any of them needed was to give the cops another reason to arrest someone. "No charges yet, I just need to discuss your relationship with with a Nate Meineke." She explained as she looked around the group again. She was acting as if she was trying to read their reactions, as if one of them would really slip up if they really knew something or not.

"Who?" Clay asked, playing dumb.

The stiff didn't seem to buy it, though. She knew how these guys worked, she'd interrogated enough of them before to know the lines. "Nate Meineke." She said again as she motioned for Hale and the other man with him to follow her with Clay. "He's one of the men who held up a prison transport vehicle this morning. Killed three people with AK-47's. We found Mr. Meineke's cell phone at the scene. Last call he received was from your garage." She explained as they made their way to her car. "Preference?" She asked as she motioned to the front and back seat to the car.

"Lady's choice." Clay said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Savannah looked over to see Jax and Piney sharing a guilty look. Obviously they knew exactly who this Nate guys was. The question was, what were they going to do about it? She just hoped Clay was alright well they figured that out. "Oh, tattoos and chivalry. Delicious combination." Stahl said before opening the back door and letting her partner put him inside. She looked over at the others once more, giving them a taunting wave of her hand, before getting inside of the passenger seat of the car.

As the group of them watched the cruisers leave, they all shared a look. They knew they needed to do something soon, and they needed to make things right again.

#%^&%^&$%^

She ended up going into town to pick up some bathroom cleaner for Half Sack. It was an excuse to get away and to calm her nerves. Between everything going on, Savannah's head was spinning. She was turning the corner when she bumped into the last person she ever thought she'd bump into. That girl from this morning when Juice came back. "Oh, um, sorry about that. I was lost in thought." She said as she brushed herself off.

The brunette seemed to recognize her from before as well. She looked nervous for a moment, but relaxed when she saw that Savannah was alone. Obviously Savannah wasn't the one she was afraid of, which only confirmed her earlier suspicions, Clay had slept with this sweetbutt. "You're Juice's girl, aren't you?" She asked, taking Savannah by surprise. Savannah hadn't realized how she'd come to earn that title. "He talked about you the entire ride back into Charming. Said you were a great mechanic." The brunette said, confused by the expression on her face.

Savannah couldn't help but feel bitter. Obviously this tart got the wrong impression. If she was going by Lily's expression earlier when she saw her leave, Juice and her had made up and she was his girl. Not Savannah. Clearing her throat, she forced a smile and held her hand out toward her. "I'm Savannah. Not Juice's girl, just a mechanic." She introduced herself.

"Cherry." She said as she shook her hand.

The girls shared a small smile before continuing on walking together. They were walking for a bit, just talking about random things and getting along, when out of nowhere Gemma came along and swung at Cherry, hitting her square in the face with a skateboard. Savannah yelped out in surprise as she jumped back. Cherry went down hard. "Oh, my god. My nose!" Cherry cried out as she held her broken nose. Savannah looked up at her mom in surprise, not knowing what to say as she watched her drop the skateboard to the ground. "Oh!" she continued to cry out.

Savannah didn't even think to comfort or help Cherry, she just stepped over her and followed after her mom instead. She could see that she needed her more, emotionally at least. "Who are you? Why'd you do that to me?" Cherry called over to Gemma, but she was ignored. She was trying to hold back her own tears as she sat down on the curb.

Savannah didn't even say anything, or even think twice, about settling down into the spot beside her. She grabbed ahold of her mom's hand and gave it a small squeeze, telling her that she was there. Neither of them spoke as she rested her head on her daughter's shoulder and waited for the cops to show, which they both knew that they would.


	12. Back To Just Friends Again

_Thanks for the reviews! I'm happy you guys are sticking with me, and Love Ink hasn't killed me for all the questions I throw at her! She's definitely a big help with this story and it wouldn't be what it is without her help! Definitely check out her Juice/Oc story Hands All Over! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners_

 _Chapter 12_

 _! #$%^ &%^$#_

It was the early hours of the morning when Savannah found herself coming home. She knew her ma had decided to spend the night in her cell instead of letting Clay post bail. She'd gone to check on her, offered to post the bail herself, but Gemma did what she wanted to do. She didn't bother with turning on the lights as she headed into the kitchen. The flowers in her hands were gonna need a vase. She was still surprised Bash had gotten them for her, she wasn't expecting it when he surprised her with dinner tonight.

Over the last couple of weeks, against her better judgement, they'd been getting closer. She now let him take her out to eat with barely any relunctence. After figuring out Lily and Juice were giving it a try, or at least that's what she thought happened, she figured she'd give Bash a real shot. Maybe it would help her get over the feeling of bitterness she had towards Lily and Juice.

"Nice flowers, Savvy. They from your boy-toy or Juice?"

Jumping, Savannah turned just as the kitchen light turned on. Jax was sitting on the counter top, eating his way through _her_ ice cream. Blushing at his question, she wasn't sure what was worse. That he had caught her sneaking in, or that he'd actually said the word _boy-toy_? Her nose crinkled in disgust, neither was good. "First, he's _not_ my boy-toy. Second, don't _ever_ say boy-toy again, and third, you better _not_ be finishing my ice cream, you jerk." She whispered, coming over to snatch the carton from him.

She made a face when she saw that he'd almost eaten the entire thing before putting it back in the freezer. Jax watched as she looked around for a vase for her flowers. They were at least the nice kind, not the cheap shit he would have picked out for a girl who refused to admit they were dating. Then again, he doubted he'd even go through the trouble if that was the case. "That mean you're finally admiting you like this wanna be Rocky?" He chuckled, watching her curiously.

He hopped down from the counter and turned to lean against the island. Savannah found what she was looking for and pulled the vase out from the cabinet. After dusting it off, she filled it with a little water and put her flowers inside of it. Once she had them arranged the way she liked, she smile pleased and turned to her brother. "No, I'm not, because I don't. The sex is great, that's all. Just drop it, Jax." She said, wishing her brother wouldn't bring this up again.

She wasn't even aware Jax knew about Bash, but somehow she wasn't surprised he'd found out. Tig was Bash's friend, and she knew Juice already knew. Between the two of them, she was surprised Jax hadn't brought it up sooner. She didn't want to talk to her brother about it right now though. She was still trying to figure it out. While Bash was sweet, and he was really trying to move them forward, something was just . . . missing. He wasn't Juice.

"Sav, you got hurt. Just because Jui-"

"I said don't start, Jax." Savannah cut him off.

Jax saw the wound was still healing from Savannah's first heartbreak, even years later, and it hurt him to see her hurting so badly and not being able to help. "Just because he hurt you, doesn't mean every guy you see if gonna hurt you. This guy could be something great if you let him. It wouldn't hurt to see someone outside of the club either." Jax whispered, trying to get through to his sister.

She got her stubborness from Gemma though. Hurt her once, shame on her. She'll never give someone else the chance to hurt her twice. He didn't want that for Savannah. He didn't want her not to know love and experience the chance to be happy again. "Koz was a mistake, Jax. I told you that. It shouldn't have happened, it won't happen again. I don't want to be an old lady. Juice . . . he never wanted that life for me. If he did anything for me, it was show me I could have a life outside of the club. Now he's in the club and I . . . I can't go there with him again. He didn't let me in before, I don't think he'd let me in now and I can't . . . I can't be the old lady that doesn't know everything." She said sadly, refusing to meet his eye now.

Talking about Juice hurt, saying he was right felt even worse. She wanted to hate him, a part of her did hate him. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say the club life was for her, no matter how much Gemma wished she would. After living in New York for a few years, she liked having that independance. She wanted a partner, if she was ever to care about someone like that again, not a master like how Clay was to her mom.

Gemma liked to think she ran things, and maybe she did to a point. She was queen afterall, but Clay was president and that trumped queen. She didn't want that for herself. She wanted someone who would work with her. She wanted to love someone who treated her as an equal, not a housewife who was there to tell them how great they are and spread her legs for them.

While she knew Juice wouldn't treat her like that, club or no club, she couldn't trust him to let her in. She couldn't be that girl who didn't know anything going on. She was raised to be queen, she was trained to be that strong figure to get shit down. It meant she had to have an old man who trusted her to do that, and she wasn't sure Juice could.

Jax sighed, knowing she wasn't going to budge. At least not at two in the morning. She was like their mom in that way. She had an idea in her head, she wasn't going to change her mind about it. "Just . . . think about it, Sav. This guy hasn't run yet, it could mean something. Don't shut yourself off. Obviously, he hasn't seen what you look like in the morning before you've had coffee." Jax teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Savannah reached up and smacked him in the arm. "Go home, Jackson. You do still have a home, right? Or are you pretending it doesn't exist still?"

Rolling his eyes, he pushed off the island and grabbed his jacket. She had no idea about the shit they were getting ready for, what her ex, Chibs, and the prospect were currently in the middle of doing. He grimaced at the thought. Yeah, that was a shit show. No pun intended, he thought to himself. "I'm goin'. Get to bed, kid." He said, kissing her cheek before heading to the door. He opened it, pausing before looking back. Savannah was smelling her flowers, a sad smile playing on her lips.

He hoped she was going to be okay.

Savannah had only been asleep an hour before her phone went off. It took her a few minutes to figure out what it was that was ringing, but it wouldn't stop. She groaned, half asleep as she grabbed her phone and flipped it open. "You need to not make a habit of calling me so damn early, Juan Carlos Ortiz." She growled into the phone, pushing her hair out of her face with a huff.

Juice's chuckle came over the phone, and she wasn't sure if it made her stomach flutter or if it pissed her off more at the moment. "Sorry, Sav. You think I could use your shower? Club's plumbing is kinda not workin' and your house is closer than mine." He asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over his attire.

He was covered in shit. Literally. His OCD was in overdrive and he just wanted to scrub it away until he was raw and wrinkled. He knew he could very easily take a shower at the clubhouse, but there was never good pressure, and his place was further away than hers was. He knew she was alone tonight, and with the shit going on lately, he didn't like the idea of her being on her own during the night.

He knew that was a bullshit excuse though. He just wanted to see her, apologize for the Lily mess. He wanted to tell her he'd drop Lily if she gave him another chance. He knew that was harsh, but it was true. If there was even a chance he could have her back, he'd forget about Lily Unser not even a second later.

"Fine, but make it a quick shower. I'm exhausted and some idiot keeps calling me before the sun rises. Said idiot should apologize with those chocolate chip muffins in the bakery on Monday. Coffee too." She said after a few minutes of thinking it over.

Juice chuckled, remembering how she loved to pick up muffins before class. Her coffee was her drug of choice if he remember right. As happy as he was for the shower, he was happier to hear she wasn't mad at him. "Thank, babe. I'll be over in a few minutes. Just, uh, be prepared. It's bad. Like, really bad." He said, tossing a leg over his bike before he hung up and revved his engine. He glanced over to see Half Sack hosing down the lot, trying to hold back a gag as he did. Juice grimaced. He was so glad he was no longer a prospect.

Juice was only driving for a few minutes before he pulled up to the Morrow household. Sav was staying with Gemma and Clay until she found somewhere more permanent. He wouldn't have even bothered calling her if he didn't already know both Gemma and Clay weren't going to be here tonight.

Jogging over to the front door, he was quick to knock. When he got no response, he wondered if she fell back to sleep. Pulling out his phone, he was about to text her when the door opened. "I was just about to . ." He started, lifting his head, only to trail off when he saw the Teller-Morrow shirt she was wearing. It fell down to her mid-thigh, leaving her legs bare for him to look at. "Uh, I thought you might have fallen asleep on me." He said, swallowing his nerves as his eyes stared trained on her legs.

Savannah cleared her throat, crossing her arms as she leaned against the door. His eyes immediately snapped up, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck. He flashed her an apologenic grin, but she knew he was anything but. "If you're done drooling, you can go use the shower." She said, trying not to let the hungry look in his eyes affect her. He was with Lily and she was with Bash.

Giving her a lazy grin, he nodded and moved by her after he slipped off his shoes, not wanting to track it into the house. As he did, she was hit with why he'd needed the shower so bad. Gagging, she covered her mouth and tried not to puke. "Oh, fucking hell, Juice. Why the hell do you smell like shit?" She asked, gagging when she tried to take a breath. Bad idea. Really bad idea. "No, shit. Nevermind. Just go. Go shower! I-I'll toss your shit in the fireplace. J-Jax has some spare clothes here." She said, covering her mouth as she motioned him on.

He knew he had to smell . . . well, like shit. He'd gotten use to it, as much as he could, but he forgot how badly until he saw her reaction. Pulling off the sweatshirt, he was quick to take off anything that was of value to him and put it on a side table. Once he was sure it was out, he glanced back to see her watching him. "I'll, uh, put everything in a trashbag and try not to make a mess of the bathroom." He said, balling up the sweatshirt in his hands.

Savannah just waved him off, not wanting to smell it anymore. He hurried upstairs to the shower, not wasting anymore time. She grimaced at the sight of his poor shoes before shutting the door and looking for a trash bag he could put his stuff into.

This was going to be a long night.

~! $#%^&*

Juice was in the shower for a good hour before he finally came out. Savannah had thrown his clothes outside as soon as he gave them to her and she'd left him some of Jax's stuff to change into. When he came back out, she was sitting on the counter finishing off the ice cream Jax had been eating earlier. It didn't feel right to go back to sleep while Juice was here, almost awkward. Ironic since she never had a problem with that before.

When he came down after his shower, she had to laugh at the sight of him. Juice never liked wearing big shirts like her brother did, and the jeans were big on him. He looked like a wanna be 90's boy band member. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. At least it doesn't smell like shit." He chuckled, making his way over to her.

If this was like old times, he would stood in between her legs and taken a bite of the ice cream she was holding. Of course, then that would have led to them kissing and it'd just go from one thing to another. He was almost certain if he did it, she'd let him. If their last kiss was any clue anyway.

"Why do I think this has to do with someone flushing nice panties down the toilet today?" She asked, pointing her spoon as him. "And why do I have a feeling it was you that did it, Mr. Panty thief? Don't think I forgot about all the pairs of mine you stole."

He laughed, he couldn't help himself. Even if she was right, he wasn't about to tell her that. She'd think he was an even bigger creep than she already did. Shaking his head, he went against his better thinking and moved to stand in between her legs. He ran his hands up her bare thighs, and he was surprised she hadn't pushed him away when he let his fingers slip under shirt and hook around her own underwear she was wearing now. "You have no proof it was me." He chuckled, leaning in to take the spoonful of ice cream she'd pointed at him.

Savannah's breath caught in her throat, her body tense as she tried to focus and figure out what to do. Should she push him away? Hell yeah, but did she want to? No. She honestly didn't, even if she knew she should. Tilting her head, she leaned back on the counter. "That's a new level of weird, Juice. Even for you." She giggled as she put the top back on the carton and moved it off her lap.

His hands were still rubbing up and down her legs, driving her nuts even though she refused to let it show. If she let him, she knew this could very well turn into something it shouldn't. She knew it couldn't, especially since she was just wish Bash only a few hours ago. Granted they hadn't done anything, but he'd put the effort in by taking her on a date. "Juice, that isn't how just friends touch." She said, biting her lip as she tried not to pay attention to his hands.

He chuckled lowly, letting his hand run down her leg as he wrapped it around him. He missed having her this close. It'd be so easy to just have his way with her, and she was melting at his touch. He knew if he really tried, she'd cave and let him in. "Come on, Sav. Why we fighting this? You and I both know we want this." He said softly, leaning in toward her.

His lips were just seconds from hers, his eyes focused on her mouth as he pulled her flat against him. Closing her eyes, she was about to give in and close the space between them, but remembered exactly why she wasn't suppose to cave. Placing a hand on his chest, she took a shaky breath and leaned her head against his. "Lily. You're with Lily, that's why this isn't happening. She's my friend, I'm not doing that to her. You're not that guy, Juice. You might want to be like the others, but I know you. You wouldn't hurt her like this. You wouldn't put me in that position to hurt her. Please, just go. Go, please." She begged, knowing she wouldn't be able to push him away if he pushed.

Whether she had feelings for Bash or anyone else, they'd never be Juice. He was her first love, a love that never had a true ending, and she couldn't erase him from her heart no matter how badly she wanted to. Juice opened his eyes, hating that she was right. He didn't want to hurt her, and if he pushed this he knew it would. Sighing, he kissed her cheek, lingering longer than he should have, before he pulled away and lefted. Savannah took a shaky breath, trying to control herself. It wasn't until she heard the harley start and drive off before she cried. Juice was gone, and she had let him go.

She just had to believe it was for the best.

#$%^$$#

While things were quiet again, Juice wasted no time in going over to the gym. He didn't want to talk himself out of doing this. He had to make things right, and this was the first step in doing so. Walking into Lumpy's made him miss his old gym back in New York. It had a similar feel to it. Old, but homey. It was welcoming. If he didn't know Savannah's rebound worked here, he probably would have liked to come around a couple times a week. It'd be like home, just working out and relaxing. It was his outlet to his crazy world.

His eyes scanned the room before settling on the ring. There was a match going on currently and one of the contendors were familiar. He'd seen him from afar before, but now that he was seeing him up close, he could see why Savannah was attracted to this guy. The other man's hair was the same shade, a little bit shorter than his. His hair was straight where his own was more curly if he was to grow it back out.

They had a similar build, though this man was a bit more in shape than he was. Juice touched his stomach in embarrassment. He'd let himself go while in prison and never quite got it back since joining the club. Not much, he was still in shape, but he wasn't like he'd been before. He had a bit more beef to him than before, but that might have been because he had no say in what he was given to eat and since then Gemma always made sure her boys were fed.

"You a fighter? Just looking to sign up, or coming to visit Bash?" An older man asked as he joined his side.

 _Bash_ , so that was the loser's name.

Clearing his throat, he crossed his arms as he shifted from one foot to the other. He pulled his attention from the boxer to the old man. "Lookin' to join. I use to go to gym all the time, wanted to get back into shape." He said honestly. He did wanted to get back into shape. It was just a bonus he'd get to keep an eye on Savannah's rebound guy.

He refused to see him as anything else. When he looked at Bash, he saw Savannah trying to find another him. They looked enough a like. Same hair color, same carmal skin tone, same build. She was trying to replace him with, well, himself. At least, that was how he saw it. "If you're sure. Come on, I'll show you around." He said, motioning for him to follow him. Juice's eyes flickered back to Bash before he caught up.

Lumpy showed him the locker room and some of the equipment they had. It wasn't bad, he could definitely see himself coming here to work out on his off days. The only downside was the boxer who was making his way over to them as they returned to the main room. "Hey, Lumpy. We getting fresh meat?" He asked, his eyes only flickering to Juice for a second before looking back at his own teacher.

"I've boxed before. I bet I could wipe the floor with you no problem." He said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

Lumpy looked surprised, but Mr. Rebound didn't. He knew who he was, he realized. No doubt because he'd seen him at the garage, but that didn't explain his lack of surprise at his threat. He knew who he was to Savannah. "Maybe we can set that match up sometime. You work at Teller-Morrow, right?" He said, brushing off his threat with ease.

Clenching his fists, he couldn't lose his cool. Especially when this guy was making a point of being level headed with him. Clearing his throat, he nodded as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, I've worked there for a few years now. My girl . . . uh, my ex, use to tell me about it a couple of times and couldn't help seeing it for myself. I couldn't bring myself to leave." He said, his eyes narrowing on the floor when he realized his hiccup.

Bash seemed to grow taller when he shifted from foot to foot. Now he looked surprised, or smug by the smirk on his face now. "Right. Well, not everyone's meant to last forever. I'm sure you'll find someone else in no time." He said, his warning coming through loud and clear.

Juice wasn't an idiot. Bash was making it clear Savannah wasn't for him and he should back off before they had problems. It was too late for that though, given they already had an issue. He was seeing Savannah and Juice wasn't about to give her up. He knew she was it for him, and he refused to let this rebound take her from him. "We're working it out. You know what they say? If it's worth fighting for, don't give up." He said with a shrug of his shoulder.

Bash's body tensed at his double meaning, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he was clenching his fists. Juice could even see the muscel twitch in his jaw. "You should learn when you're fighting a losing battle. Give up while you're still ahead." He said as he shoulder bumped him while walking past him to the locker room.

Juice didn't turn to watch him leave, instead deciding to glare at the ground. If he wasn't already on thin ice with the judicial system, he would have knocked some sense into that guy here and then. Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax before turning to Lumpy. "So about that membership?" He asked, forcing a smile on his face.

Lumpy studied him for a moment, debating on letting him join or not. If Juice was gonna be a problem, he knew he shouldn't, but it wasn't his business if his employee decided to get in the middle of a lover's spat. "Right, yeah. Come on, I'll grab the paper work in my office." He said, motioning for him to follow him. Juice spared one last glance over his shoulder in the direction Bash had gone, before nodding and following the old man to his office.

This should be interesting.


	13. Back To Your Corners

_Thanks for the reviews! Big thanks as always to Love Ink for putting up with me and all my questions lol If you haven't checked out her Juice/OC story Hands All Over you've had to be living under a rock all these years because it is awesome! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 13_

 _#$%^%#$^% &_

A few days had passed since her last run in with Juice, and Savannah was making it her purpose to keep them from having another one. She knew her and Juice in the same room was only going to end badly, and she didn't want to risk it. Sometimes, it couldn't be helped, especially when he made every attempt to be close to her, but she couldn't give in. It would only hurt her friend, and she couldn't have that happen.

Today was one of the off days Juice wasn't working. Which meant she could relax around the garage and clubhouse. She was currently standing with Cherry, who'd been here to see Half Sack all along, watching the prospect and Lowell fight in the ring. She had to admit, the prospect wasn't half bad. She briefly wondered if he could last in the ring with Bash, but tried not to let herself think about him too much.

Bash was someone else she was avoiding since the last run in with Juice. It didn't feel right seeing him when she still wanted Juice. She was conflicted. On one hand, she had a great guy who wanted to treat her nicely and take her out. He wasn't in the club life, and he was an escape from all the craziness. Juice, on the other hand, was now in the club life. One of the reason she fell for him in the first place was because he wasn't.

Not only that, but he was still seeing Lily and it wouldn't be the first time this week alone she'd seen her friend coming out of the clubhouse with a blush and bed head that screamed 'I just got fucked good'. It killed her, and she wasn't sure what Juice was thinking. If he wanted her back, why hadn't he left her yet? Why rub it in her face? Of course, he could ask her the same thing with Bash.

"Everything alright? You spaced." Cherry said softly, smacking her gum in a way that made Savannah cringe.

The brunette looked at her with momentarily concern. Her nose was healing up nicely since Gemma smacked her with a skateboard not that long ago. It would seem the two women made peace, so Savannah was happy to give her a chance. "Yeah, yeah, just thinking about some shit. How's our guy doin'?" Savannah asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she tried to move the attention off of her and back to the prospect.

Cherry was happy to talk about him instead. "Oh, he's really doin' good. Not that anyone that challenging has faced him yet."

Savannah's eyes flickered to poor Lowell. The guy was barely clean, and he was now taking a beating from the prospect pretty good. She was friends with the junky mechanic, known him since he was a kid. His dad was a friend of the clubs, a friend of her dad, before he took off after the accident. Lowell was a mess, and he went down a bad path as he got older. Clay took it upon himself to help the guy out. Kept sending him to rehab and so far this time was sticking. Savannah was proud of the guy, she knew how hard it's been for him.

"Half Sack, boombaye!" Chibs shouted. "Get in there, kid!"

Chibs had taken it upon himself to become some kind of trainer for the prospect, and it was almost funny. She'd taken him with her to gym a couple times and Bash had been happy to help him get refreshed in boxing. He was a junior lightweight champion in his division and Savannah found that to be really cool.

"Hands up, Lowell!" Savannah shouted, cheering on the poor guy who was obviously no match for Half Sack. "Keep your hands up, Lowell!"

He didn't give up though, so she had to give him that.

"Now you're just being cocky. Anybody can beat up a junkie, prospect. It doesn't mean shit." Chibs snapped, rolling his eyes as he turned and headed over to Tig and Bobby.

Chibs was taking this seriously, and Savannah knew why. There was a bare-fist fight coming up and they entered Half Sack. Not only that, but Bash was going to be one of the fighters that night too and he'd invited her to come. She hadn't accepted the offer yet, but she knew it'd look bad if she showed up for Half Sack and ignored his offer.

"Hey, where'd you learn how to fight like this?" Cherry asked, leaning forward so she could lean on the ropes.

Half Sack liked being the center of attention for once, it was a big difference to how he was treated as a prospect. Sometimes a guy needed it. Savannah knew that all too well. Juice and Jax were both the same way. "Uh, you know, I was junior lightweight champion. Armed forces, boxing competition." Half Sack, not really paying attention to his fight with Lowell anymore.

"Oooh, that's so hot." Cherry said with a grin, leaning up for a kiss.

Taking the moment of distraction as Half Sack went to give her what she wanted, Lowell was able to land a shot. Savannah smiled, cheering on the poor junkie. She raised her hands, clapping loudly. "Atta boy, Lowell." She cheered, giving him a wink. He blushed and lost his chance to turn the tables on the prospect.

Unfortunately, she spoke too soon and Half Sack landed a few hits thanks to her unintended distraction, knocking him right off his feet. Both girls winced as Lowell hit the ropes. The foursome hadn't noticed Clay joining the group of men a few feet away. He'd shown up just in time to see Lowell go down. "Shit, Lowell. Get out of there!" He snapped, wincing as he saw the poor shape his mechanic was in.

Savannah sighed, grabbing the rope so she could use it to lift herself up. Slipping in between them, she patted Half Sack's shoulder before helping Lowell to his feet. Savannah saw the embarrassment on his face. He didn't want to look like a wuss in front of the guys. "I don't mind it, Clay. I'm just helping Half Sack train." Lowell said, moving to show he was ready for another round.

"Yeah, well, you've killed enough brain cells. Come on. Come on. Back to work." Clay said over.

Savannah shot Half Sack a look, asking him to put a stop to this so Lowell would be okay with them taking a break. She didn't want to see him hurt anymore than Clay did. Lowell's well being was probably the only thing Savannah admired that Clay took notice of. Half Sack pulled one of his gloves off with his teeth. "Clay's right, I need a break. Thanks for helping, Lowell." Half Sack said before motioning for Cherry to help him.

Lowell tried to hide his relief. "Okay. Thanks."

Savannah smiled, relieved as well, as she helped him get his gear off. She'd done this a few times for Bash, she was starting to get a hang of it. She could see the disappointment of not being able to fight well in Lowell's eyes. She hated to see him upset over soemthing as silly as this. "Don't worry, Lowell. I'll take you to Lumpy's with me sometime. My friend Bash can help ya learn how to wipe the floor with Half Sack in no time." She said, smiling as she helped him get his gloves off.

Lowell looked grateful, nodding his head in thanks. Before he could make his thanks vocal, Half Sack spoke up instead. "Just a friend? Like, uh, the just friends you and Juice are or, you know, really just friends?" He asked, knowing it was a little harsh.

He and Juice had become friends though. Juice knew the struggles of being the new guy and he appreciated when Juice would lend him a hand in shit around the clubhouse. He knew Juice cared about Savannah and while he was just as protective over her to Juice, it was his turn to stick up for his brother.

Savannah looked surprised at what he was implying. She wasn't aware Half Sack knew anything about her and Juice. Not that it'd matter, nothing was going on there. Not anymore anyway. "What's that suppose to me, Kip?" She asked, moving her hand to her hip as she tried to figure out where he was going with this.

Half Sack hopped down from the ring, grabbing his water from Cherry before sitting on the picnic table. Savannah's eyes followed him, just waiting for a response. "Nothing. Just, uh, I mean, you and Juice? You're not just friends. Don't act like it, anyway." He said before he took a big sip of his water. He was hoping she didn't chew him out for it, but they both knew he was right.

"Uh huh, and what exactly do we act like, Half Sack? Cause last I checked, my business wasn't any of your concern." She said sharply, her eyes narrowing on him as if daring him to keep going.

Half Sack was quiet for a minute as she climbed between the ropes and got back down from the ring. He took another long sip of his water before he looked over again. "You know, Juice said almost the same thing when I asked him about you. Whatever game you guys are playing with each other, it's not gonna end nice. Someone's gonna get hurt, and honestly, Sav, I don't want it to be you." He said, hoping she didn't take it the wrong way.

Savannah stood there stunned, not really knowing what she could say. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath before she headed over to the garage. "My man tells it as it is." Cherry praised, smirking as she watched Savannah's retreating form. Half Sack's eyes followed her until Cherry kissed him and got his attention back. He really hoped him speaking up wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.

#$%^%&*$&

After a quick text to Bash, she told him she'd meet him at the place they were holding the fights before grabbing a ride with Tig over. She tried to avoid Juice's curious gaze, but it was harder said then done. She tried not to be hurt when he mentioned going to pick up his date and that he'd meet them there. Savannah immediately went in search of Bash as soon as her feet were on solid ground again.

He was with Lumpy getting ready for his first fight. He'd be going on before Half Sack and she was grateful for that. It meant she could cheer for both boys. Finding a seat, she made sure she had a good view of the ring. Bash had just climbed into the ring and was being announced by the man with the microphone. "Hey, Savvy." Lily said, getting her attention as she slipped into the side beside her.

Savannah was about to greet her friend when she caught sight of Juice sliding in on the other side of Lily. Why'd he have to come with her? Why couldn't he go stand with the guys and help them with Half Sack? Unaware of the tension between Juice and Savannah, Lily smiled and gave her friend a hug before she got comfortable in her seat. "Hey, Lil. Juice." Savannah said with a forced smile.

"Juice said I hadn't truly experienced fun if I didn't see a boxing match. You're here for Half Sack too?" She asked, looking between them with a genuine smile.

She was happy to be invited and be wih her friend. She had no idea the two were currently fighting their attraction to the other, or at least she was. Juice had made his feelings clear, but still kept Lily around while Savannah lead Bash on. It wasn't fair to anyone and maybe Half Sack was right. Someone was going to get hurt, but at this point it was gonna happen no matter what she did to try and stop it.

Giving her friend a small smile, she nodded. "Yes and no. Um, my friend at Lumpy's is fighting tonight. He's in the ring now."

Lily looked surprised, glancing to the ring to see the match had started. Juice looked bitter when he noticed Bash in the ring. "Right, friend." He muttered under his breath, his fists clenching inside of his pockets. Thankfully, it was too loud and not even Lily who was right beside him heard him.

Savannah mentally scolded herself for missing the beginning of the fight. She wasn't even cheering for Bash, and she wondered if he'd notice. She winced when his opponent landed a good left hook, but Bash was quick to gain back the upper hand. The two brunettes stood up and cheered, clapping loudly for the boxer. "Woo! Go Bash! Get him! You got this!" Savannah yelled, smiling proudly when Bash landed the winning punch that knocked out his opponent.

The ref held Bash's arm up in victory, declaring him the winner of the match. The girls smiled, laughing together before they settled back into their seats. Juice didn't look to happy as he purposely wrapped his arm around Lily and pulled her closer. She thought nothing of it, happy to snuggle into him, but Savannah knew he was doing it to piss her off. She clenched her fists as she watched him kiss her, his eyes opening to look at her before he deepened the kiss. She tried not to let him ruin her good mood as she turned her head, refusing to look at the couple beside her.

"Second fight of the afternoon. Round one!" The announced said over the microphone. The bell rang, annoucing the beginning of the fight.

"Let's go!" The Referee shouted, motioning for them to start.

The couple broke for some air only because they knew it was Half Sack. Savannah sat beside them, trying to take deep breathes to keep from lashing out. She knew Juice was only trying to piss her off, and it was working. She wanted to grab Lily by the hair and tell her to get loss. That was the Gemma Teller in her, but she wasn't her mom. She wouldn't be going after her best friend with a skateboard any time soon.

Savannah tried to focus on the match. Half Sack and his opponent were dancing around the ring until the other guy took a swing. Unfortunately, for him, he'd missed and given Half Sack the opening he needed. "He's really good." Lily shouted over, tugging on her jacket sleeve to get her attention.

"Yeah, he use to be a lightweight champion I think." She shouted back, trying her best not to look over.

She had no doubt Juice still had his arm around Lily. She could hear her giggling, meaning Juice was either tickling her neck as he nuzzled her or was whispering something in her ear to make her laugh. Either option just made her feel worse. This was torture and she hated Juice for putting her through it. She knew he was just trying to prove a point, but he had to know how bad this was hurting her. Of course he did, because she'd done the same thing to him with Bash.

Savannah forced herself to watch the match, but it was over too quick. Half Sack won, successfully knocking out his opponent. Chibs and Bobby were ring side, cheering on the prospect as he danced around the ring in victory. "Whoo!" He cheered out happily. Against her better thinking, her eyes flickered beside her to see she was right. Juice had his head nuzzled into her neck, grinning as he nibbled on her ear.

If it had been any of the other guys, she would have been happy for her friend. She could see how happy she was, and that's what made it harder. Lily was happy, and that was all she could want for her friend. Why'd it have to be with Juice though? Anyone else and she would have gladly been happy for her.

Biting her cheek, she fought back her emotions and turned her attention back to the ring. She just had to get through a few more hours of this. She could do it. Glancing over, she saw that the couple of kissing again. Upon feeling the tug on her heart, she wasn't so confident anymore.

Maybe she couldn't do this.

! #$%^&$&

It was the last fight of the night and Savannah's dred had set in. Bash was fighting Half Sack, and it could honestly go either way. She knew both men were great boxers, and it meant they were in for a good match, but she didn't know who to cheer for. Lily had left to go grab some drinks for the three of them, taking the twenty Juice had given her when he'd asked her to go. Savannah felt her stomach sink when she left. She didn't want to be alone with Juice. At least with Lily in between them, it meant she didn't have to talk to him.

"What your doing to Lily is fucked up, Juice. She doesn't deserve to be used like this." Savannah called over, not letting her eyes leave the two fighters in the ring.

Juice hesitated before sliding over on the bench so they didn't have to yell. He didn't want everyone and their brother to over hear them talking. "I like her, Sav. I do, and maybe if there wasn't a you and me-"

"There _isn't_ a you and me." Savannah snapped, cutting him off as she shot him a glare.

Juice tensed, biting his tongue to keep from starting that fight. He didn't want to waste the few minutes alone they had. He'd been trying to get her alone so they could talk all week but she wasn't having it. "You and I both know this back and forth game is only gonna play for so long, Savannah. I love you. I like Lily, sure, but she's . . . she's no you." He said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

Her mistake was letting him touch her. She knew it was a bad idea. They weren't alone in her kitchen and every time he got this close it was getting harder and harder for her to push him away. "Juice, you're not playing fair. Lily's my best friend and I don't want her to get hurt. I like Bash and he treats me good. Don't put me in a position to hurt them. _Please_." She begged him, closing her eyes as she fought back her tears.

He looked stunned for a moment. He didn't want her to be with anyone else anymore than she wanted him with Lily. He knew that for a fact, but she was asking him to let her go. He couldn't do that either. He had to let her go before in New York to keep her safe, he didn't want to do that again if he had to choice. He could see how badly this was hurting though and he hated to see her so upset.

If he was being honest with himself, he knew he didn't want to hurt Lily either. She was a good girl, and he did like her. If the situation was different, he could probably see himself making a real go at a relationship with her, but the reality was things weren't different. He loved Savannah and that was never going to change.

He reached over and brushed her hair back, stroking her cheek. Without thinking, she leaned into his touch. Closing her eyes, she wished she could just let him in, but it just wasn't going to work. "Juice, _please_. Don't do this." She said quietly, just loud enough for him and only him to hear. He'd broken her when he left her in New York. She couldn't just forgive and forget that. He hadn't believed in them, and it just wasn't something she could put herself through again. Not only that, but she couldn't hurt her friend like that.

The two broke apart when Savannah caught sight of Lily coming back. Luckily, she hadn't seen how close they were, but someone else had. Bash's eyes narrowed on the sight of Juice and Savannah in the stands. Juice moved back to his spot, standing when Lily reached them and helped her past him so she could take her seat back. "What'd I miss?" She asked, looking between them cluelessly.

Savannah cleared her throat, straightening in her seat as she returned her attention to match that was about to start. Juice did the same, giving her a weak smile as he took the beer she'd gotten him and wrapped his arm around her. "Prospect and Savannah's boytoy are about to fight." He said, trying not to cringe at the mention of Bash.

"I don't know who's worse. You or Jax. He's not my boytoy." Savannah said over, clenching her fists on her lap.

Lily wasn't completely oblivious, she saw the glares between Juice and Savannah and wondered what they were mad about. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she could see whatever it was about it something they weren't going to share with her. Clearing her throat, she squeezed Savannah's hand and gave her a small smile. "So that's Bash. I gotta say, Sav, he's a looker. You've got good taste." She said, hoping to take her mind off whatever was upsetting her.

Juice choked on his beer, coughing as he shifted around in his seat. Savannah's eyes narrowed on him. "Well, it's definitely improved since the last guy."

He knew it was a jab at him, but he also knew it wasn't true. She still wanted him, he knew that much, but she wasn't going to let herself fall back into a life with him. Not unless he proved it was going to be different. Of course, dating her friend probably wasn't the best way to do that.

"I somehow doubt that." Juice said back, his eyes locked on her.

Lily looked between them, shifting around uncomfortably in between them. She wasn't getting a good feeling about this tension between her boyfriend and her friend. Choosing to ignore it, she pointed to the ring. "Oh, it looks like he might actually with this, Sav." She said, breaking their stare off as she clapped. Savannah looked away, guilty for letting Juice get to her before she clapped her hands with Lily. Juice stared at her for another moment before clearing his throat and leaning back with his arms crossed.

The only reason the douche was winning was because Half Sack had to take a fall this round so they could make a profit from it. If it had been anyone else fighting the prospect, he would have been alright with them winning. Now that it was this prick, he wished the prospect could wipe the floor with him.

Juice watched as Half Sack's eyes seemed to lock on something in the crowd and fire lit up as his body tensed. Standing up, he tensed up when Half Sack suddenly head butted Bash, pushing him away from him. "Shit, shit! Fuck!" He yelled, meeting Chibs eyes from across the ring. That definitely wasn't suppose to happen. "Stay here, both of you." He shouted over before he hurried down the stands to get to the ring. Half Sack was going primal on Bash's ass, and as much as he wanted that it wasn't suppose to happen.

Savannah stood up, watching with concern as Half Sack wailed on Bash, not even giving him a second to breath before hitting him again. He was gonna kill him if he didn't let up. Juice, Bobby, Tig, and Chibs were all at ring side, waiting for Clay's okay to break up the fight. After it was clear Half Sack was going for the kill, he finally gave it. Lily stood up with her, touching her arm as they watched the boys get in the ring.

Tig and Chibs pulled Half Sack back. Juice stood in front of Sack, doing his best to keep him from going after Bash again. He thought the guy was done for the count, but realized he was wrong when he felt a sharp pain to his back. Whirling around, he didn't have time to get his hands up before Bash landed another punch to his face, knocking him down.

"Shit." Savannah cursed under her breath, watching as Bash kicked Juice in the ribs.

She hurried down the stands with Lily behind her. Bobby and Clay grabbed Bash from behind, stopping his attack on Juice. Savannah didn't think twice before slipping betwen the ropes and climbing into the ring. "Juice!" She called, falling to his side. He was bleeding from Bash's left hook and he was holding his ribs in pain. "What the hell was that, Bash? What the fuck is your problem?" She snapped as she knelt beside Juice, grabbing his chin to get a better look at his cut.

"My ribs. I think the fucker broke my ribs." He wheezed, groaning in pain as he leaned on her.

She stroked his cheek, worry in her eyes as she looked him over. Her sole focus was only on him, completely unaware of the hurt look on Lily's face. The tension she'd felt between Juice and Savannah earlier wasn't because they didn't like each other, she realized now upon watching how she held him. It was because they _did_ like each other.

Savannah looked back at Chibs and Tig, her eyes flickering to a seething Half Sack behind them. The last thing they needed was another fight breaking out. "We need to get him to Saint Thomas. I can call Tara and see if she'll do the X-rays." She said, cringing when she heard him groan in pain again.

Chibs and Tig shared a look before nodding. The two helped Savannah get Juice to his feet before they got him out of the ring and headed to put him inside the van. Savannah lifted herself up and moved to where Clay and Bobby were still holding Bash. "That shit was totally uncalled for! Don't bother calling me ever again," She snarled before she climbed between the ropes and hopped down.

Clay and Bobby shoved Bash forward, hard enough to send him to his knees before motioning the prospect to get a move on. Half Sack spit as he walked past Bash. "Douche bag." He muttered before slipping between the ropes and hopping down.

He looked ahead to see Savannah climb into the back of the van, helping them get Juice inside of it. He glanced back to see Lily climbing into the ring to help Bash to his feet. He was right before, someone was gonna hurt in the little love square Savannah and Juice had created. He just didn't think it'd be physically or that it'd be juice. Sighing, he went to go change and find Cherry while the others went to go collect what winnings they could.

#%$#$! $%^&

It was only a few days before Juice returned to the gym. He was dressed in a wifebeater and basketball shorts, this time prepared to actually work out. He'd been put on bedrest while his ribs healed, but he couldn't sit still anymore. He needed to do something. His cuts had started healing since the fight, but he still had some soreness in his side from the cracked rib Bash had given him. Of course, it'd worked in his favor since Savannah didn't leave his side until she'd had to.

He wanted to win Sav back, and this was the first step to do it. Unfortunately, that meant he had to apologize to Bash. He shouldn't have talked shit the way he'd done. It was too rash, he wasn't thinking. He knew if he was gonna get anywhere, he couldn't have an enemy. Especially not Bash. He needed to learn what he could about the man, see if he could find any cracks he could exploit.

Scanning the gym, it took a minute for him to find the boxer he was looking for. Bash was currently practicing his uppercut on the punching bag. His wounds from the fight against Half Sack were healing, though not as well as Juice's. He had an angry black eye to show, among other bruises around his torso. Juice's pride was very against his plan. He didn't want to apologize to this jerk. He wasn't lying, he had every intension of winning Savannah back, but he couldn't do that if he didn't plan this right.

Swallowing his pride, he took a deep breath and headed over to him. Coming up behind him, he watched him for a minute. His jealousy aside, he could admit this guy wasn't an amature when it came to boxing. He knew how to place his feet, giving him a good form. His punches were on point, hitting the bag just right. "You done staring at me like a drooling fool?" Bash asked, hitting the bag again. He hadn't even turned his head.

Juice tensed, holding back the insult he wanted to say. Straightening up, he cleared his throat as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I wanted to apologize for the other day. I shouldn't have jumped on you like I did. Sav and I have been over for a few years. Guess I'm still protective of her. I just want the best for her. Not saying I deserved the cheap shot from behind, but I'm willing to look past it if you are." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He didn't want him to see how tightly he was clenching his fists.

He didn't want Bash to know how much it killed him to say that. While it was partly true, he did want the best for her, he knew he was it. They belonged together. If he was going to get this to work though, he needed to keep that part to himself. Bash paused in his actions, grabbing the bag to keep it from swinging before looking back at him suspiciously. "What are you getting at? You don't think I saw you two in the stands? She was basically in your lap and obviously that's where you want her to be. So what kind of bullshit are you trying to pull here?" He asked, eyeing him with distrust.

Juice knew to expect that reaction. He wouldn't trust him either, but he needed to convince him he had come in peace. Shifting from one foot to the other, he adjusted the bag strap on his shoulder. "I don't like it, but if she's happy? I'm happy for her, and she was happy with you for whatever reason. I just wanted to make amends with you. Seeing as you are still together, I guess we'll be seeing each other a couple times." He said, shrugging his shoulders before he raised his eyes back to the man in question.

Bash didn't trust him, he didn't believe in what he was telling him, but he had no reason to not believe him either. He didn't know him, and Juice doubted Savannah told him much about him. She didn't like letting people in, it was hard enough to convince her to let him in the first time. He knew it was going to be ten times harder than the first time. Clearing his throat, Juice held out his hand to him. "Truce?" He asked, his eyes flickering to his out stretched hand before glancing back at Bash.

Bash looked at his hand suspiciously, and for a moment Juice was worried he wouldn't take the bait, but then the other man sighed and nodded. He raised his hand and took Juice's out stretched hand in a shake. "Truce." He said, giving him a firm shake before letting go. "I gotta get back to this. You're welcome to anything else here, if you were serious about joining." He said, motioning to the rest of the gym. His eyes flickered over Juice's outfit and knew he'd be sticking around. Unfortunately.


	14. Back to Freddy's Pharmacy

_Thanks for the reviews! For those wondering about Juice making some confessions soon, don't worry it's coming! As always, big thanks to Love Ink for all the help she gives me with this story, it wouldn't be where it is today without her! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners_

 _Chapter 14_

 _#$%^* &(&^_

Lily wondered down the street from the police station to Lumpy's gym. It wasn't a common thing for her to do, but since Juice had been coming around here more and more, she thought she'd surprise him with some lunch. Since the night of the fight, she wasn't as confident of their relationship as she had been. Juice hadn't told her he'd been intimate with Savannah and Savannah hadn't mentioned it either. Actually, she made a point of not saying her mystery 'love of her life' back in New York was Juice. Instead, she'd used a different name. Juice's actual name she'd found out later on her own. Another thing he hadn't told her.

She was trying to not let it get to her, but the more she saw Juice and Savannah near each other, it only made it worse. They weren't doing anything, just laughing as they worked together in the garage. They were friends. Just friends. If only she could forget the look on Savannah's face when Juice was hurt. It wasn't something 'just a friend' felt, it was a what a lover would.

Was that why Savannah's boxer had landed a cheap shot on Juice? Did he know about Savannah and Juice's past? Had Savannah told him, or had he figured it out like she had? She honestly couldn't be sure unless she asked Bash herself.

As she walked into Lumpy's, she actually felt guilty for being relieved when she didn't see Juice. As much as she told herself she'd wanted to come to surprise him, a part of her was hoping he wouldn't be here. She'd even gone through the trouble of making him a lunch on the off chance he was here. While Juice wasn't here, she found that Bash was.

He was practicing in the ring, sparring with someone she didn't know. Giving a quick glance around the room, she didn't see Juice but that didn't mean he wasn't in the back. She'd have to be quick about this. The last thing she needed was him coming in and seeing her talking to Savannah's boyfriend. She wouldn't even know what to say, she'd never been the best of liars. Taking a deep breath, she knew it was now or never.

Walking over to the ring, she waited until she had Bash's attention. She's met him a couple of times when she'd come in to drop off paper work from her dad to Lumpy, but their conversations never amounted to much past hello. He'd recognize her if nothing else though. Motioning a time out to his partner, he grabbed his towel and water and headed over to her.

Lily had never understood the attraction women had to men at the gym. All she could picture was sweaty men and it made her cringe. Bash changed her mental image though. He stood above her wearing just a pair of basketball shorts and she felt her heart race. Bash knew he looked good, Savannah told him as much almost every time they were together, so he recognized the familiar lusty look in Lily's eyes as she took him in.

He grinned, knowing fully well she was attracted to him. "What can I do for you, Miss Unser?" He asked, tossing the towel around his neck as he took a swig of his water.

Blushing, Lily quickly averted her eyes in embarrassment. She was with Juice, she shouldn't be oogling anyone else. Especially Savannah's boyfriend, and she most definitely shouldn't be doing it because she was here to ask questions about Juice and Savannah's relationship. "Oh, um, I was just wondering . . . . well, this is embarrassing. I just . . . at the fight, I was curious about . . ." She didn't know how to ask without it coming out badly. She was going to sound like a paranoid girlfriend no matter how she asked it.

Bash seemed to realize where her rambling was trying to get though. His eyes darkened almost angrily as his fists clenched. His entire appearance seemed to change right in front of her. "I don't know much. Sav just mentioned they were together before, he broke her heart, and now he's here and she wants nothing to do with him. At least that's what she told me." He said, shrugging a shoulder in a way that told her he wasn't so convinced it was true.

"But you don't believe her?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Bash could see how nervous she was to hear his reply. He'd seen her with Juice that night, he put two and two together. It helped that Savannah mentioned Juice was seeing someone. It was suppose to comfort him, but the way she'd said it did anything but comfort him. She was jealous, even if she didn't want to admit it. "Maybe you should ask Juice." He said, not wanting to be the reason she did anything irrational.

Lily didn't want him to see her expression. Juice hadn't even told her him and Savannah had been a thing, and neither had Savannah. Obviously she wasn't suppose to know, so she doubted they'd like her asking questions. "Unfortunately, that's not an option. So, that leaves me with you. Do you think something is going on with them? Between them, physically, I mean." She said, her hands twisting around nervously.

Bash looked sympathetic, almost like he felt sorry for her. It didn't give her a good feeling, and she was almost certain she wasn't going to like his answer. He opened his mouth to either confirm or deny her fears, but stopped himself when he caught sight up something behind her. She saw his body tense, putting her on alert as she turned to see what it was. "Juice, hey man. You gonna actually get in the ring this time?" He asked as he climbed through the ropes and jumped down.

Bash and Juice didn't like each other, the tension between them was obvious, but they were putting in the effort to pretend they did. Half Sack stood behind Juice awkwardly, feeling out of place he felt the tension too. The two men shook hands quickly before turning to Lily. Juice's eyes looked between them curiously, and Lily was curious to see if she'd see the same jealousy in his eyes as he'd had just at the mention of Savannah seeing Bash. Unfortunately, there was nothing even resembling the emotion.

"Hey, babe. What are you doing here?" He asked, purely out of curiousity.

Lily looked a loss for words. Lying wasn't her fortay and she wasn't about to tell him the truth about her visit. Her eyes flickered to Bash, pleading for him to help her. He had no reason to, but she'd owe him big time if he did. Much to her surprise, he cleared his throat and squeezed Juice's shoulder. "Miss Unser came down here to drop some papers off. How about you come back a little later and we'll go over them?" He said, tilting his head as he motioned for her to get going.

She was a little stunned, surprised he actually helped her. When he cleared his throat again, she snapped back from her trance-like state and nodded quickly. "Oh, um, yeah. Yes, of course. I'll see you later, Sebastion." She said, her eyes flickering between the three of them nervously before she kissed Juice's cheek. "Bye, Juice. Half Sack." She said with a nod before she slipped between them and headed for the exit, completely forgetting about the lunch she'd made Juice in her hands.

Juice couldn't help but notice Bash's eyes following Lily as she left and it bugged him. He knew it wasn't because he was jealous, because he knew he wasn't. It just bugged him. Out of every girl in Charming, he had to be interested in the two Juice wanted. "You done undressing my girl in your head yet? Can't you find a girl I haven't been with?" He said, meaning to come off teasing, but Bash didn't miss the anger in his tone.

Brushing it off, he just grinned and shrugged. "Not my fault they want the bigger and better man, if you know what I mean."

Juice gritted his teeth, taking a step forward. Half Sack was quick to jump forward and stop him from hitting the boxer. Bash just chuckled, rolling his eyes before he turned and headed back to the ring. Juice clenched his fists tightly at his side, wishing he could just punch that fucking smirk off Bash's pretty boy face. Hell, he'd love to rearrange that face and make it not so pretty anymore. The guy was really getting on his last nerve, and that was saying something since he'd never been on his good side to begin with.

#%^&%

Juice, Half Sack, and Savannah had been pulled from the garage to do a tow job. Savannah was sitting in the truck while Half Sack and Juice hooked up the car. _Correction_ , while Half Sack hooked up the car while Juice picked at his nails. Not that Savannah was being much help as she messed with the radio trying to find a good station. Only Half Sack took notice of the ambulance as it drove passed them and pulled into the parking lot across the street from them. An idea struck him as the EMT's climbed out and headed inside.

"Dude, handle this for me." Half Sack said, leaving his spot as he moved around the car.

He had to do this before he talked himself out of it. Juice's head snapped up, not knowing what Half Sack was doing. Whatever it was, couldn't be good though. "Where are you going?" He asked, watching as jogged around the car.

"To get my top rocker." Half Sack called back.

"What?" Juice asked, lifting himself up from his leaning position against the truck.

Savannah climbed out of the truck upon hearing the commotion. Confusion filled her eyes as she came around the back of the tow truck to stand beside Juice. "Where is he going?" She asked, watching on as he headed right for the ambulance.

"No fuckin' clue, but I don't like where this is going." He said, sparing her a glance before turning his attention back to Half Sack. "Oh, no you're not." He muttered in disbelief.

Half Sack climbed into the driver's seat of the ambulance. The two watched on helplessly as he bucked out of the lot before driving off. "Oh, yes he is." Savannah said in annoyance, running a hand through her hair before she turned back to the truck. "Come on, finish getting the car up so we can catch up to him. If Clay doesn't have his ass for this, I will." She said as she jogged over to the driver's door and climbed in.

Juice chuckled, rolling his eyes before he climbed over and finished getting the car hooked up. Once it was secure, he jogged over to the passenger side and climbed in. Savannah didn't waste any time in starting the truck and turning them around to follow Half Sack back to the garage.

This was gonna be a long day.

$%^&*%

When they got to the garage, Half Sack had already pulled the ambulance inside and closed the doors to make sure no one could see it while driving by. Juice and Savannah pulled in and climbed out. Juice looked conflicted as Savannah started unloading the car. He wanted to help her, but he knew the fact they had a stolen ambulance in their garage wasn't going to go over well. Savannah seemed to realize what he was conflicted over and sighed. "Go help him out. Numb nut is gonna need it. I'll have Dog help me with this." She said, giving him a small smile as she waved him on.

He hesitated another moment before nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll check in on ya later."

Savannah watched as he jogged over to the garage, pulling down the other door half way to keep people from looking inside. With a sigh, she shook her head and went over to help Dog get the car off the tow truck. They had managed to get it off when Jax pulled into the lot. He parked his bike in with the others before he climbed off and headed over to her. "Hey, sis. You comin' with me and ma to get the kid outta the toaster tonight?" He asked as he approached, grinning as he nodded to Dog in greeting.

Savannah wiped her hands off on her cargo pants before she looked up. She lit up at the mention of Abel. She was excited to finally hold her nephew. "Hell yeah, Jacky. I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else." She said, brushing her hair out of her face. In doing so, she managed to leave a streak of grease on her cheek, but it suited her. She worked hard to be here, and she'd proved that by earning her degree.

Jax noticed the doors garage hanger doors closed and glanced at his sister curiously. "What's goin' on in there?" He asked with a nod of his head.

Glancing back, Savannah couldn't hold back the eye roll. Her reaction only made him more curious about it. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Come see for yourself. I'll be back, Dog." She said before motioning for Jax to follow her.

The two siblings crossed the lot. Jax pulled the hanger door up as they slipped underneath it. He stopped short when he realized there was an ambulance hidden inside. Glancing to his sister, he realize she hadn't been kidding. "What the hell is that?" He asked, his eyes moving from his sister to Half Sack, Chibs, and Juice before moving across from them to Tig and Clay.

Chibs stood up, proudly wrapping his arm around Half Sack. His eyes glanced to Juice with amusement. He sure knew which prospects to pick. "My prospect." He said with a grin.

"Just, you know, trying to think outside the box." Half Sack said, wishing nothing more than to crawl up in a ball and hide in embarrassment.

He'd take the teasing though. He'd at least tried to make up for loosing the money they bet on the match. It didn't mean much since now they had a stolen ambulance they couldn't do anyhitng with, but at least he tried. Savannah shook her head, crossing her arms as she tried to hide a smile. Half Sack was never missing a chance to surprise her. She suppose that was a good thing considering the other men in her life.

"You get a chance to talk to that tanker driver?" Clay asked, his eyes flickering briefly to Savannah before shifting his focus to Jax.

She knew that was her cue to leave, but she found herself not moving. She had no clue what they were talking about, but that wasn't unusual when it came to club stuff. "Yeah. Nords aren't dealing at the mill. Driver bought the crank up in Pope. That's where he filled his tank up with diesel-" Jax said, smirking at he pulled two stacks of cash from his pocket. "That I just sold to Unser. We're flush with the Irish." He said as he put the money in Clay's hand, grinning proudly as he stood beside him.

"Nah. Nah." Clay said in disbelief as a smile broke out on his face before he embraced Jax in a hug.

The men all cheered in celebration, all excpet for Tig before none noticed that besides Savannah. She'd noticed Tig acting cold toward her brother lately, but this was the first time she really saw the hatred in his eyes. He didn't trust Jax, for whatever reason, but they were all none the wiser to it. If she had to guess, Clay knew, but he'd never make that known. Tig was his right hand, he had him wrapped around his finger. He could control the wild haired man more than he could ever control Jax.

"And I'll take that as my cue to get the hell out." Savannah said, sparing a quick glance to Juice before she slipped out and left them to their business.

$%^&I%*&

Night had fallen by the time Savannah got to the hospital. Gemma had texted her to tell her she'd meet her there with Jax. She made her way toward Abel's room and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Tara already inside. Hearing a knock on the glass, Tara looked up to see Savannah standing there. She motioned for the nurse to watch Abel before leaving the room. "Hey, we'll be taking him out soon. I'm glad you could make it." Tara said, giving her friend a brief hug.

"Me too." Savannah said with a small smile.

Their friendship had mended a lot over the past two months, as did her relationship with Jax. She was relieved when she found out Kohn would be leaving town, that he was gone and wouldn't be around to bother her again. Today was definitely looking up to be a great day. Unfortunately, Savannah couldn't say the same.

Things were still tense, even more so since the fight. Bash had been avoiding her, making up excuses as to why they couldn't meet up. He was embarrass of how he'd reacted that night, but she knew it was more than it. She knew he didn't trust her. He wasn't sure how to act about her past with Juice and that it wasn't so much in the past as he would have liked it to be. "Things going any better with you?" Tara asked, noticing the sadness in her eyes.

Savannah didn't know how to answer that question. Physically she was great, never better, but mentally? Emotionally? She was a complete and utter mess. Her head knew she should feel one way, it would be better to care for Bash. It'd be safer to care for him. Her heart belonged to Juice though. It always had and it always would. "Define better." Savannah said, giving her a weak smile.

Tara glanced back in Abel's room before motioning for her to come sit down beside her. Savannah hesitated, knowing her ma and Jax would be here any minute, before she sighed and sat down beside the doctor. "What's your head telling you?" She asked once they were settled.

"My head is telling me Bash is the smarter choice. I don't love him, but I could. He's easy to get along with and he's funny. Most importantly, he's not part of the club." Savannah said, looking down at her hands on her lap.

"And your heart? What does your heart say?" She asked, knowing from experience that the heart and head rarely agreed on anything.

Savannah took a deep breath, wishing it could be as easy to explain outload as it was in her head. It never seemed to come out right, but she'd at least try. If anyone would understand, it was Tara Knowles. "I loved Juice so much. I think I still love him. When we kissed the other day, it was like . . . it was like I was finally home. Fire works went off. It was . . . it was amazing. He still knows how to make me laugh and-and make my heart race. We're trying the just friends things, especially since he's seeing Lily, but . . . it's hard. It's hard to be in the same room as him and not just kiss the hell out of him. When all of this started with Abel, he was the only person I felt safe with. He held me and just told me it was going to be alright. I believed him. He said it, and it just made everything better." Savannah started to explain, tearing up as she did.

Lily was coming down the hall, having taken the long way up to the chemo room. She was here to sit with her dad while he got his next dosaged, but she wanted to stop by to give a quick congratulations to Jax when she'd heard Savannah and Tara talking about Juice and Bash. She was about to come around the corner when she'd heard them. Tears swam in her eyes the longer she listened, but she couldn't find it in her to move. She had to hear it all.

"He likes her, Tara, and I know she really likes him too. If I hadn't come back, he'd probably be giving it a real go, but he's not because of me. He knows I still . . . and I do. I hate seeing them together. It kills me, and I know that's what's pushing me to Bash. It's not fair to him. Maybe that's why I've been okay with him avoiding me since the fight." Savannah said, wiping her eyes as she paused to catch her breath and calm down.

Tara reached over and squeezed her hand supportively. "It feels like I've got those things on my shoulders, if that makes sense. You on one shoulder, the angel, telling me to go with safe. Pick Bash and live a life outside of the club. Then my ma's on the other shoulder, the devil, and she's telling me just to give in and be with Juice. It's my destiny to be with a Son. With Juice coming here, joining the club, it's a sign. It's like fate giving me the guy I wanted a life with and tweaking him so he fits in the life I'm suppose to have. God, damnit I sound insane." She groaned, dropping her head into her hands.

Tara patted her shoulder sympathically, knowing the conflict she was dealing with all too well. It wasn't that long ago she was in the same spot. Only, she'd chosen to run away. Lot of good that did her, seeing as it just ended messy and she landed right back here anyway. "No, you're not insane. Well, not any more insane than your mother, so there's that. Come on. Let's get some coffee before it's time." Tara said, motioning for her to follow her. Savannah hesitated before sighing, nodding her head as she pulled herself up onto her feet before leaving with her.

Neither noitced the crying brunette leaving in the other direction.

$%$^&%*&

It was only a few minutes after they returned from getting coffee did Jax and Gemma show up. Tara excused herself, telling them they could wait in the other room while she helped the other nurse get Abel out of his box and ready for them to hold. Jax sat anxiously in the rocking chair, ringing his hands together nervously. Savannah was sitting up on the counter while Gemma paced the floor. It seemed like forever before Tara returned, now with a baby in her arms.

Jax was quick to stand up, a smile quickly appearing on his lips. Savannah slipped down off the counter, moving to stand beside her mother. Gemma squeezed her hand excitedly, both watching as Jax took his son in his arms. "Hey. Hey." Jax whispered to the curious baby as Tara helped him get Abel settled in his arms correctly.

Jax couldn't stop smiling even if he wanted to as he rocked his son. He was really here in his arms, after weeks of not believing this moment would happen. He slowly lowered himself back into the rocking chair. "I don't know how to break this to you, kid, but I'm your old man." He chuckled, tears filling his eyes. It was hard to believe only two months ago this beautiful little boy had barely a chance of surviving. He was so much stronger than he'd given him credit for, and he thanked god every day for proving him wrong.

Tara knew Jax would probably appreciate a moment alone with his son. She opened the door, glancing at Gemma to see if she was coming. Nodding, Gemma motioned for Savannah to follow her out as she grabbed her things. Savannah cleared her throat, nodding as she hurried to follow them out. She glanced back quickly, smiling at the sight of father and son. This would be her some day. Her, her baby with the big Cheshire grin, and . . . and whoever she ended up with. As she pictured it, she suddenly couldn't wait for that future to come true.


	15. Back To Reality

_Thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad to see everyone liking Lily and Bash. I wasn't originally planning on keeping Lily and Bash around much more after this season, but would you guys be interested in seeing more of them in season 2 and on? As always, big thanks to Love Ink, this chapter would have been twice as much a struggle without your help! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 15_

 _#$^% &%^^$%&*^_

The girls were waiting outside when Jax got the call saying there'd been trouble and he had to leave. He told them to stay here with the baby. Gemma wanted answers, but she knew the drill much better than Savannah did. She did as she was told. The women moved back to the room and Gemma took Abel from a confused Tara.

"They'll let us know what's happening when they can. Savannah, come over here and hold your nephew, won't you?" Gemma said, motioning for her daughter to take the infant.

This was when being in the dark scared both of them the most. Not knowing what was happening or if someone they loved was hurt. Savannah's mind immediately went to Juice, but she knew he had been still working when Clay and Tig left. As much as she didn't like her step-father, he was still the man who helped raise her. She didn't want to see him hurt anymore than she did any of the other guys.

Nodding, she moved away from the window and sat in the rocking chair. Gemma carefully moved the squirming baby into her arms and smiled when he was settled. Moving back, she really took in the sight of Savannah holding a baby and she loved it. It looked right. She'd be a great mother one day, she just had to get her love life together. While Gemma was a big fan of Juice originally, she'd come to like him.

"I'm sorry you got stuck with such a dork for a daddy, Abel, but you got me for a kickass auntie so you'll be just fine. Yeah, yeah you will." Savannah said softly, smiling when the baby babbled in her arms, smiling when she nuzzled his nose.

Tara smiled at the sight before her. This was a future she wanted for Savannah. To just see her happy was all she could ask for. Whether it was with a boxer or a biker, it didn't matter so long as she was happy with him. "It's a pretty good look on her, wouldn't you say Doc?" Gemma said quieted, her eyes never leaving Savannah.

"What does?" Tara asked, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Gemma only spared her a glance before returning her attention to Savannah making faces at the infant in her arms, causing him to shriek in laughter. "That maturnal look. She's got it. Probably why she took care of the idiot back in New York. She loved that boy a lot. Shame they can't work things out. Actually approve of 'em now. You two are close again, maybe you can put in some advice to move her in that direction?" She said, keeping her voice low so she didn't alert Savannah to the conversation they were having.

Tara tensed up, knowing exactly where Gemma was going with this. She only approved of Juice now because he was a patched member. Had he'd steered clear of the club, just been a mechanic like he'd originally planned to be, this conversation would be going differently. "Savannah's old enough to make her own choices, Gemma. It wouldn't matter if I suggested one way or the other, it's still her choice to make." Tara whispered back, shooting her a look that told her to stay out of it.

Of course, she wouldn't be Gemma if she did that.

"In other words, you don't want to do shit. Fine. She'll figure it out soon enough. They two already tried to bone in the garage. Won't be long until they can't fight it anymore. Speakin' of, how are you and Jax doing?" She asked, giving her a pointed look.

Tara tried to fight the blush, but Gemma wasn't born yesterday. Crossing her arms, Tara was suddenly flustered as she refused to meet her questioning gaze. "There is no me and Jax, Gemma. You know that we're just friends. I helped his son, that's all." She said, though Gemma couldn't tell if she was trying to convince her of that or herself.

"Right, just friends. Sure. That what you kids are calling it now? You're no more 'just friends' than she is with the idiot. You and I both know that so don't try to play me, sweetheart. I invented this game." She said before feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket. Flipping it open, she saw the message from Jax and sighed. "We gotta get to the clubhouse, baby. Come on." She said, glancing at Savannah before she motioned to come on.

Glancing between her mother and the doctor, she sighed and nodded. Tara gave her a small smile as she carefully took the baby from her arms. He squirmed, fussing when he wasn't happy with the exchange of arms. Savannah's heart broke a little when she realized he wanted to return to her arms instead. Stroking his cheek, she gave him a sad smile. "Don't worry, nugget. Aunty Sav will be back to see you soon. I love you." She said, kissing his head before she grabbed her purse and left with her ma.

The two hurried out to their cars and Savannah followed Gemma to the garage. The two pulled into the lot and noticed the row of bikes were back. Jax's included now. As they pulled into the parking spaces, Savannah saw one of the garage doors closing. The boys were here alright. "They're in the garage." She said over to her ma as they climbed out of their cars.

The two women hurried over, using Gemma's office to get inside. They walked in to see the ambulance, which was a surprise to Gemma. Her eyes scanned the room to see Jax and Tig, who was sitting in the driver's seat trying to reach something. There was no sign of Clay though, and she felt her heart beating against her rib cage. "What happened?" She asked, looking between the two men, waiting for one of them to answer her.

"Ask him." Tig said bitterly.

Gemma and Savannah's eyes turned to the back of the ambulance to see Clay and Half Sack. Still no sign of Juice, Savannah thought to herself. "Oh, my god." Gemma said, relieved as she hurried over to her husband and threw her arms around him.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, I'm fine." Clay said, kissing her head as he held onto her.

Gemma didn't look convinced. She'd had a bad feeling all day, and her fears had been about something going wrong with Abel but this was it. "I knew it. Goddamn it. I knew something bad was happening." She said, stroking his cheek affectionately. Her attention turned to the ambulance behind them and her eyes widened in surprise. "Holy shit. Where's we get an ambulance?" She asked, coming around the back to see Juice and Chibs inside with someone laid out on the gurney.

Savannah slipped passed Clay and her eyes widened at the sight inside. She felt a little bit relieved to see Juice alive and well sitting besides Chibs, who was trying to keep pressure on whoever the guy laid out on the stretcher was. The two men both pointed to Half Sack beside her. "Numbnuts stole it." Chibs said.

"We'll patch up the Irishman." Clay said.

Savannah's eyes lingered on Juice a moment before she tore them away and glanced past Clay to see Jax leaning against the shelf. He looked conflicted. Whatever had happened, or was going to happen because of this, he didn't agree with it. Maybe that was why Tig seemed to be in a bad mood too. She'd noticed the tension lately in the garage, but this was worse.

"All right. So what do you need us to do?" Gemma said, gaining Savannah's attention.

Obviously she wouldn't be getting a say in this. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to help Half Sack move the Irishman. They had to move him from here to the clubhouse without killing him in the process. Half Sack helped her inside before following her in.

Savannah slid past Juice, smiling weakly at the Irishman. She wished she could tell him it was going to be alright, but there was so much blood. Chibs was not a doctor, there was only so much he could do. The last thing this man needed was to hear her doubts though. As if sensing her worry, Juice squeezed her knee. Turning her head, she saw him give her a small smile. "It's gonna be fine, Sav." He whispered over. If the Irishman heard him, he didn't make it obvious.

Savannah returned the smile until reality returned and the Irishman groaned in pain. He struggled, the pain of his wounds getting worse. "Calm down." Chibs ordered as the Irishman struggled. He cried out in pure agony, twisting from side to side. "Come on, hold him. Hold him. Hold him." Chibs instructed, glancing from Juice and Savannah to Half Sack on his other side.

"Chibs." Jax said out, coming around the back of the ambulance.

"Yeah."

His eyes flicketed to his sister and he didn't like the sight of her involved in this. He knew if Tig and Clay got their way, this was only the beginning of the blood bath that was to come. He didn't want to see her among the casualties. Clearing his throat, he couldn't worry about that now. "Make a list of the surgical shit you need. I'll call Tara, see if she can help." He said, trying not to focus on the bleeding man in front of him.

Was Tig right? Was this retaliation really his fault? Clay could have been killed tonight because he didn't let them act before. This guy could die because he got caught in the crossfire. With a war brewing, he didn't know where he stood. "Okay, Kid." Chibs said, bringing him back from his thoughts.

Savannah's eyes flickered over to her brother, concerned with the conflict she saw on his face. It worried her to see him so torn over whatever battle was going on his head. A part of her wanted to follow him, ask him what was wrong, but she knew he wouldn't tell her. Right now, all she could do was help Chibs and the boys try to save this man. This was definitely not how she pictured her night ending.

%$%&$

The boys were preparing for a war they weren't ready for. Savannah didn't have to be told to know as much. They weren't 100%, and tensions had been high since Abel's birth. Clay and Jax had been butting heads, even when it came to how they handled business in the garage. Tig didn't trust her brother, that much had been obvious as well. Opie was still half in half out, which was messing with his head. She didn't have to be a Son to know that. She knew Opie, he was as much her brother as Jax was. The club was his life, and Donna was his wife. A wife that hated the club. There'd be no happy ending there.

While Savannah and Juice worked with Chibs to keep the Irishman breathing, her mom and Clay made preperations while Tig and Opie got all the guns together. Gemma was preparing to feed and home a full house while Clay called in the other charters for help. Tonight had been an attack on their home, and it wouldn't be forgotten. The Mayans had crossed a line, and it would answered in blood.

Jax was suppose to be getting the supplies Chibs needed to save this man, but it was taking him longer than expected. Savannah stood by his head, making sure he was still breathing while Juice held his other leg down as Chibs poured alcohol on the wound. He took a swig of it himself before grabbing the pliers. He was leaning on the man's torso in hopes to keep him from moving.

Savannah attention shifted when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Glancing to Juice and Chibs, she realized neither of them were paying her any attention. Once she was sure, she pulled her phone out and saw that not only had Bash tried calling her, but he had messaged her a few times as well. Shit, she'd forgotten the date she'd promised him. He'd finally cracked and messaged her after their gap in contact since the fight.

Glancing quickly to make sure the two men still were distracted, she hesitated before writing back something had come up and she couldn't make it. Promising him a rain check, she finished the text before pressing send and putting away her phone. "How's he doin' over there, lass?" Chibs asked, catching her attention.

Clearing her throat, she checked the man to make sure he was still breathing. Patting his cheek, he groaned to life before passing back out. He was so out of it he couldn't even open his eyes, though perhaps him not being conscious for this was for the better. "Unless he's suddenly became the undead, he's still kicking. Jax should have been back by now." She said, her eyes flickering to the door as if he would magically appear. When he didn't, she sighed and relaxed on the edge of the table. This was going to be a long night, but it was what she was born into.

This was where she was suppose to be. This was her life.


	16. Back To Big Confessions

_Thanks for the reviews! I know this chapter is a little longer than the others, but I think you're gonna like it! As always, big thanks to Love Ink for all the help she's given me, and a guest who gave me this idea a few chapters ago! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 16_

 _#%$^% &*%&*_

Morning had come and passed and there was still no sign of Jax with that medical shit. She'd crashed in Jax's room when she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore. Savannah woke up just before dawn when her ma had come to get her. The Irishman, Cameron Hayse she'd learned, had woken up and Juice and Chibs needed her help keeping him still. Without that medical supplies, she wasn't sure how much more Chibs could do, or if he'd even be able to save him at this point.

Savannah was currently sitting with Opie out in the bar. There was only so much blood she could handle and she was reaching her limit. Opie passed her a drink, giving her a weak smile. He'd been around more lately, and she honestly wasn't sure what to think about it. "Thanks, Ope." She said quietly, tipping the glass to him before tossing it back.

"No problem. Hey, uh, can I ask you something?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, Opie." She said, taken back by the request.

Now was probably not the best time to ask her, but he wanted to ask before he lost the nerve to do it. He might not know Juice that well. He'd been in Chino when he got to town and for most of his prospecting year. He knew Savannah had a past with him. Jax had visited him once and told him all about his initial meeting with Juice.

He cringed at the reminder. That was not a happy visit. Clearing his throat, he took a swig of his drink before looking over. "Jax mentioned Juice hasn't been completely focused lately. Not since you came back, anyway. How are things going there?" He asked, glancing over to the chapel where Juice and Chibs were trying to keep the Irishman stable. Hell, they just needed to keep him breathing at this point.

Savannah looked conflicted by the question. He knew to expect the expression. Not because of what Jax filled him in on, but because he just knew her. She was like her brother in the way they loved with their hearts on their sleeves. It was dangerous to do in this life, but it wasn't something easily fixed.

She stared at the empty glass between her hands for a long moment, as if it would give her the answer she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to accept she wouldn't be getting any kind of answer from the glass and looked up. "I honestly don't know. I've been seeing a guy at Lumpy's and he's . . . he's great. Everything I fell in love with Juice for in the beginning. He wasn't part of the club, he was sweet and funny. He treats me right. I just . . . there's something different. I don't know if it's because he's not patched or if-"

"If it's because he's not Juice." It wasn't a question.

Opie knew where she was coming from. She felt as stuck in this life as he and Jax had. She wasn't raised to wear a patch, but she was still raised in this life. She was just as stuck here as he and her brother were. They were born and raised Samcro. He knew from experience it was easier said than done to leave. Even being half in and half out, it was tearing him apart. Donna had eased up some, but he still knew she hated the club and how it tore his family apart.

Savannah had the chance to get out. It'd be easier for her to go and stay gone. Only real issue she had was getting Gemma to let her go. It had never been the club holding her back from having the life she dreamed of. It was fear of not belonging there. She wasn't raised like normal kids were. In normal families, they didn't get use to violence growing up. Normal families would be frightened of guns and blood, whereas it was no big deal to Savannah. He wouldn't be surprised if she already knew how to handle a gun. No doubt Gemma would have her trained so she could protect herself.

Juice changed that bubble of safety. He'd popped it and changed her life. She'd been given the option of a future with no guns or violence that came with the patch. No worry if he'll come home or spend the night with someone else. She could have the white picket dream he'd been trying to get with Donna and the kids since getting out of Chino. He had no doubt it scared her. That future was just barely out of her reach, and she'd almost gotten it before Juice got picked up and sent to prison himself. That bright future of a kid or two, a family business, and a life away from Charming, it was all gone like that.

Now she was afraid to let herself dream again. Looking at her, he wondered if that was it. He wondered if it wasn't getting that freedom, or if instead it was just Juice. She wanted Juice and whatever future came with him. It didn't matter if it was club or picket fence, she was all for it as long as it included him. He smiled weakly at the thought. He knew it was like that for him and Donna, no matter what her feelings for the club were.

Savannah eyes shifted from Opie to her glass again. She didn't know what to think when it came to Juice and Bash. All she knew for sure was she had a chance to leave this insanity and be normal for a few hours, but instead she stayed and played her part. "I don't trust him, Ope. With my life, sure. I know he'd protect me. I just . . . don't trust him when it comes to telling me the truth. We never had the best track record of being honest with each other. I can't be that girl who doesn't need to know everything. I can't be on the outside. He'd think he's protecting me by not telling me anything, but it'd break us just like before. We can't do secrets. Not then, and not now." She said quietly, not wanting to alert anyone else in the room of their conversation.

The last thing she needed was her ma or one of the guys giving their two cents. Opie sighed, leaning back in his chair. He wasn't sure what to tell her. Donna wasn't currently his biggest fan at the moment, but he knew he could trust her. He knew she could handle the truth. Sure, he didn't tell her everything, but he didn't go out of his way to keep shit from her either. "I can't tell you who to pick, Sav. Just . . . you being conflicted is making Juice unfocused. You can get hurt when your not focused." Opie said, his eyes flickering to Gemma warily.

Gemma was getting impatient. It'd been hours since Jax left to get that medical supplies, and he had yet to return. He should have been back hours ago. She couldn't fathom what could be keeping him unless he was hurt. The thought of him being hurt made her even more impatient. "Where is he?" She asked, her eyes flickering from Opie and Savannah over to Tig, Piney, and Clay sitting at the bar.

"Relax." Clay said, knowing she was getting anxious.

"Don't tell me to relax." She said, shooting him a look before looking back down at her glass in her hands.

Savannah and Opie shared a worried look. Jax was never one to ignore his phone. She remembered during his prospect year he was always on that thing, no matter what they were doing. It had always bugged Tara to no end. She never understood why he couldn't press ignore just once. "I called his cell phone a dozen times, Tara's house, no answer." Opie piped in, checking his phone again just to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

That was the last straw for Gemma. With a sigh, she patted the table and stood. "I can't just sit here."

"Hey." Clay said, grabbing her arm as she went to pass him and pulled her back. "Until we see where this lands, you and Savannah stay put. Understood?"

The statement was directed to both Teller women, knowing neither of them were going to do well being cooped up. Savannah was easier to handle than Gemma was, especially if there was even a hint of Jax being in danger. "What if they got to him?" She asked, worry in her eyes. She didn't like the thought of her here protected while one of her kids were out there and could be hurt.

"Jax can take care of himself, Gem." Tig said from behind the bar.

Opie and Savannah knew Gemma wouldn't drop it until she saw Jax or at least knew they were doing a better job of looking for him. The giant could see his friend was just as worried about her brother, though she wasn't as vocal about it as her mother was. "I'll take a ride to the hospital. See if he's there." He said, raising up to his feet. His eyes flickered to Savannah and she nodded her thanks to him.

"I'll go with you." Piney spoke up, moving around the bar to meet him.

He wasn't about to let his own son go out there alone, especially when one of them were already missing and Clay wasn't doing shit to find him. Opie leaned over and kissed Savannah's cheek before stopping at Gemma and doing the same. Gemma had more of a mom to him than his own mother had been, and Gemma had always considered him one of her sons since he and Jax were in diapers. "Take care of my boys." She said over to the old man.

"Always." Piney said with a nod.

Chibs appeared as the two Winston men left. "Whew, you got your slugs out of this guy's ass. The infection's spreading." He informed them, his eyes scanning the faces of the people left. "And he may even have sepsis."

"Just do the best you can, all right?" Clay said, knowing there wasn't much else they could do without that supplies.

Chibs sighed, exhaustion getting the best of him. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could deal with. Without the proper stuff, he really was only prolonging this man's death. Savannah hesitated before standing up. "I can take over for Juice for a while." She said, wishing she could offer to take over for him instead. He had skills she didn't, but she could at least give him some new company and give Juice a minute to breathe.

He nodded, motioning for her to follow. She smiled sadly to her mom and Clay before following after the Scottsman. Unfortunately, Juice never did get his moment of peace. Chibs needed them both to hold the Irishman down as he continued on with his search for the slug buried in the man's up thigh. "Trying to find the damn slug." Chibs said through gritted teeth. Cameron's yells of pain were heard through out the clubhouse.

"Oh! My arse!" He yelled as the pain just seemed to be getting worse. It felt like he was on fire and burning alive. "Oh! My ass!"

Juice and Savannah both looked up when Tig appeared in the doorway to the chapel. "Keep him quiet." He said over to the trio.

"Okay." Juice said with a nod.

Tig shut the door before they could question why. Savannah hesitated, sharing a look with Juice before she moved to the head of the table. She tried to keep the Irishman quiet, but it was easier said then done. If she strained her ears, she could barely make out the voice she knew belonged to Unser and suddenly realized why Tig had told them to keep Cameron quiet. They didn't want the Chief to know they had a dying man here.

In her moment of distraction, Cameron let out a scream of pain. The door to the room opened a second later and the trio looked up to see Clay standing there. Savannah couldn't see from her vantage point, but Unser was beside him looking in. "Jesus christ." He muttered, looking away from the sight. It was also the last she heard from the chief before the door was shut again and their voices became muffled.

Chibs returned to work, his pliers digging deeply into the man's body. Cameron let out a blood curling scream. "Got it! I got it! Got it!" He chanted as he grabbed hold of the slug with the tool in his hand. Juice was holding down the man's legs while Savannah watched on in horror, holding his hand for support. She was letting him squeeze her fingers so tight she thought he'd broken them, but she didn't seem to care as she watched the scene unfolding. "One. Two-" Chibs pulled the bullet free, a stream of blood flowing out of the wound now.

"Jesus!" Juice cursed under his breath, disgust showing as he watched the blood pour out.

He'd bleed out if they didn't do something quick. Savannah jumped up at the sound scream of agony coming from the Irishman. "Ah, Jesus! Shit, shit, shit!" Chibs cursed, standing as he searched for something to plug the hole. "Come here! Hold that." He said, yanking Juice's arm over and shoving his finger into the man's bullet wound to stop the bleeding.

"What the-"

Tig and Gemma came running in upon hearing the screaming. "What's going on?" He asked, taking in the sight before him.

Chibs was laying on the man's back, holding him still as Juice was laid out on the table, his face scrunched up in disgust as he wrapped his mind around the fact his finger was literally jammed up this man's ass. "Oh, we got one slug out." He said, as if it was nothing at all. Cameron was still screaming in pain.

Gemma's eyes immediately found Savannah's frightened ones. Her entire body was shaking, her eyes not leaving the bloody mess. Moving around Tig, she hurried to her side and wrapped her arms around her. Savannah jumped, startled by the contact, before leaning against her. "This is insane!" She said, having had enough of this.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Juice asked, his eyes flickering to a horror struck Savannah.

He wished he could hold her like Gemma was and tell her it was gonna be alright, but obviously that wasn't an option right now.

"Just you keep your finger in his ass." Chibs snapped, drawing his attention away from Savannah. He was doing everything in his power not to look to where his finger was currently shoved. "This is way beyond my wheelhouse. This is way beyond it!"

Gemma looked around the room and couldn't believe this horror show. Juice looked like he was about to be sick. Savannah wasn't looking any better, and if they didn't get some real help now this man was about to die in their clubhouse. All because no one was trying to find Jax. All because he wasn't here and they didn't have the supplies they needed. Glancing at Savannah, she kissed her head before storming out of the room. Tig was quick to follow her. "Gemma? Gemma, where are you going?" He called after her.

Chibs looked back to Savannah and knew she was in shock. She'd never been this involved before, and there was more blood than even he was comfortable with. "Hey, lass. Savvy, why don't you go get some clean towels for us, aye?" He suggested, but she was still staring at all the blood.

He sent Juice a worried look, not knowing how to get through to her. Juice cleared his throat, still avoiding looking at his hand. "Sav, hey. _Sav_!" Her eyes finally snapped up, tears swimming in them when they met his. "Why don't you go get us some towels? I'm kinda, you know, stuck here." He said, cracking a weak smile as a way to make here feel better. "Hey, it's fine. We'll figure this out, nothing to worry about. Just go get the new towels and some water." He said calmly, though he was anything but.

She needed him to be though, so he would be. Chibs watched in amazement as she nodded and hurried to leave to grab what he asked for. She paused beside him, her eyes flickering to where his hand was currently, before taking a deep breath and continuing on. Chibs waited until she was gone before speaking up. "You still love her, could hear it in your voice." He said as he worked on getting the Irishman stable again.

Juice glanced back at the door with a sigh. "Yeah, yeah I do."

$^##$ #$%^

A good half hour had passed by, and Chibs had needed a break. Leaving Juice and Savannah to watch over the Irishman, he went to clean up and have a drink. There wasn't anything more he could do for the man. Tig had called and said they found Jax and they were on their way with Tara's supplies in tow. Hopefully the medical supplies could still be enough to save the dying man.

Juice still had his finger plugging the hole. It was probably the only thing keeping him alive at this point. Savannah sat across from him, holding onto the dying man's hand even though he was currently passed out. Juice couldn't believe she was still here. He would have thought she'd run the second she was free to, but she'd come back once she calmed down and taken the Irishman's hand as a way to bring him some comfort.

Her phone rang again, probably the third time in the last hour, and he didn't have to ask to know who it was. Bash had been trying to get in contact with her since last night. "I thought you and Rocky were back on track?" He asked, honestly curious to know where she stood with the boxer. It wasn't like he and Lily had been doing any better since the fight, and he wasn't sure why they were suddenly on the rocks. Though, it wasn't keeping him up at night and he wasn't worried about it as much as he should have been.

"We are . . . were . . . I just . . . I need to be here. I can't worry about him right now. How's your hand doing?" She asked, trying to shift the conversation away from Bash.

He knew he should have pushed it, but he also knew she was just as tired as he was. Besides, whether he was conscious or not, he was sure the Irishman didn't want to hear their love life conversation. "Trying not to think about it. Remember when I had to clean out Mrs. P drain in the back room?" He asked. Her nose scrunched up, telling him she did. "It's grosser than that." He went on, an expression of disgust flashing on his face.

Savannah surprised him as she let out a weak laugh. He couldn't help the grin that appear on his face. The two went silent when Cameron stirred between them. He was laying in a pool of his own drool, something that made them both cringe in disgust but it was the least of their problems. "How you feeling?" Juice asked, smiling as he tried to play it off as if everything was fine and his finger wasn't currently jammed up this man's ass.

"What the hell's going on?" He asked weakly.

Juice's eyes flickered to Savannah, not sure how he should word his answer. He didn't want to scare the man, but he also didn't know how to explain what was happening now while they waited for Tara to come. "There were some, uh, complications?" He said more as a question than a statement, his eyes flickering to Savannah for help. She just shrugged, not knowing how to explain it any better.

His uncertainty didn't bring the Irishman any comfort. "Where's the Scotsman at?"

Savannah straightened in her seat, her eyes catching Juice's worried ones. "Oh, he's gonna be right back."

Her eyes widened when he leaned up, feeling something strange, and looked back. "Where the hell's your hand?" He asked.

Juice shared a panicked look with Savannah, having been hoping he wouldn't notice. His eyes moved to where his hand was with uncertaintly. "It's, uh-" He paused, standing up too quick. His movement caused the Irishman to groan in pain. "Oh, okay. Um-" He cringed, not really sure what to say. To make it worse, Savannah was actually finding him trying to amusing. "Well, my finger is, uh, plugging up one of your bullet holes." He said, hoping he worded it right.

Savannah had to stiffle a laugh, not wanting to make things worse, but it really didn't seem possible at this point. Juice was mortified already. Cameron looked dazed, but he was lucid enough to put two and two together. "You got your finger jammed up my ass?" He asked, causing Juice to look flustered. It only made Savannah want to laugh more.

"No. _No_." Juice was quick to say, shaking his head before he seemed to realize he wasn't wrong and nodded his head instead. "Well, technically, yes, okay. But my finger's not jammed _up_ your ass. Cause, you know, that would be gay. It's kind of jammed _in_ your ass, which I guess is still kinda gay."

"Jesus!"

"But I'm not gay!" Juice was quick to clarify.

"Juice, stop! Please, just . . . stop before you dig yourself any deeper." Savannah laughed, not being able to handle it anymore.

"Am I going to die or not?" Cameron asked, wishing nothing more than to get the conversation back on track.

"No." Juice said, shaking his head quickly. "I don't think so."

Savannah rolled her eyes, squeezing the Irishman's hand. "Juice's finger . . . well, it's just there to slow down the bleeding."

"Oh!" He groaned in pain before his eyes flickered up to see Chibs return to Juice's side. "Oh, Scotsman. I need you guys to go me a favor. Brenan Hefner, port commissioner, he's got to be dealt with."

Chibs eyes flickered to Savannah warily. They already involved her more than they should have, now was definitely not the time to have this conversation. "There'll be plenty of time for that." He said, hoping he'd drop it.

"No! It's gotta happen before Monday. He's gonna sic Port dogs on our shipment. You gotta take him out. You promise me." He was finally lucid enough to bring up the hit, but obviously not enough to realize he shouldn't have brought it up in front of Savannah.

"Hey, don't worry. I promise you. It'll get it done. I swear." He said, his eyes flickering to Savannah before he tipped the bottle back and let Cameron have a swig of it. "Have a drown. There you go."

"Take him out?" Juice asked quietly, not really sure he knew what the man meant. "That means, like, kill him?"

"No, I think what it means is dinner and a movie." Chibs said sarcastically.

Savannanh had to cover her smile, remembering now that Juice was still new to all of this. He wasn't like Jax and Opie, who grew up in this life. They saw the ugly side of this life, unlike Juice who hadn't been here more than three years. He was still that boy she met in New York and it was times like now she was reminded of that. He was still the boy she fell in love with under that kutte, and somehow that made things harder for her. Her JC was still there, and while she knew it kept her from moving on she was hoping he never left.

$#%^&%&$^

Savannah had heard Jax finally return, but she knew at this point the medical supplies would do nothing for them if they didn't have a real doctor using them. Chibs didn't know what he was doing any more, and they were just hoping for the best. She, Chibs, and Juice looked up when the chapel doors opened and Gemma appeared, Tara behind her. The doctor paused as she took in the chaos before her. "Oh, my god." She muttered.

"Took two slugs. Got one." Gemma gave her the quick version. "Little Dutch boy's keeping the-the blood dike from bursting." She went on to explain, glancing at Juice who was nodding his head with a proud smile.

"Dork." Savannah whispered, catching the smile.

He would have thought she was being mean, if she wasn't trying to hold back a smile. He chuckled, shaking his head at her. Tara was at the end of the table, pulling out everything she was going to need, but paused when she caught the looks between them. The last time she saw her friend, she was still conflicted over Juice and her feelings for him, but it seemed that in the few hours since then something had changed between them.

Clearing her throat, she took out a bottle of pills. "Here's some vancomycin. This'll kill anything." She said, tossing it over to Savannah.

Savannah barely caught it, having not been paying attention. Thankfully, she had quick reflexes or else she would have dropped them. "Give him two now and then one every four hours." She went on to explain.

Savannah held her gaze for a minute before unscrewing the top and pouring out a couple. "Hey. Hey, you gotta wake up." She said as she tapped the man's cheek. Juice tried to help as he patted the man's back, shaking him carefully. "Wake up. Here. Come on, wake up." She tried again.

After a moment, he groan before he lifted his head. He was barely conscious, but enough so he could take the pills. "Oh, what's going on?" He asked, trying to make sense of what was happening now.

"Here. Take these." Savannah urged him, holding the pills in her hand. "We got you a real doctor. She knows what she's doing." She said as he took the pills from her palm before she gave him a sip of liquor to wash them down.

He let out a sigh as he finished swallowing. "How's it look?"

Tara was getting a syring ready. Filling the needle, she glanced over to the man on the table. "It looks like you got shot."

"The doctor's a friend of the club." Gemma spoke up, her eyes only leaving Tara for a second before they returned to her, a silent question in her eyes.

Tara paused in what she was doing to meet her gaze. She wouldn't have gone that far, but she was here because Jax asked for her help. "Like Savannah said, you're in good hands." Gemma said, knowing if nothing else, Tara was a good at what she did.

Tara dug the needle into him, causing him to scream in pain. "Oh, no." He groaned. "Are you Irish, doc?"

"Half." She said as she got ready.

"Oh. The half that's the doctor?" He asked, groaning in pain.

Savannah couldn't help but smile at the odd question. Even Tara was amused at the question, it definitely something she hadn't been asked before. "I'm not sure." She told him honestly.

"You should find that out. It's good to know." He said, fully serious.

Tara rounded the table once her gloves were on and held out the box to Gemma, who was surprised at the gesture. "Me?" She asked, unsure as she took the box from her.

Tara simply just handed her some guaze without a word. Gemma was out of her element, and it was certainly something to see. "Oh, where should I put it?" She asked, not sure how she was any help to the doctor. Tara just gave her a look, one that Savannah caught and had to stiffle a laugh. Gemma shot them both a look to watch it. "Careful." She warned them both, her eyes flickering to Juice to not even try it.

Juice and Savannah looked exhausted, they wouldn't be much help to her, which left Gemma as her only help. She could see neither wanted to be in the room any longer, and she was happy to free them from it. First things first, she had to get Juice's hand out of the man's ass. "I'm gonna have, um-" She paused, not really knowing what to call him. Juice just seemed silly. Plus, she wasn't sure if Savannah wanted them to know just how much she'd confided in her.

"Juice." Juice it was then.

"Juice pull his finger out. I want you to stuff that gauze into the wound, then I'm gonna close it off with this clamp." She instructed.

Juice looked impressed, as did Savannah as she gripped the man's hand again. Gemma knew the good doctor was being stuck up for her benefit, and she wanted nothing more than to knock her down a couple of pegs. "Sure you know what you're doing?" She asked, locking gazes with the young doctor.

"Guess we'll find out." Tara said, never breaking the stare.

Savannah knew this was something that had to happen between them. Tara wanted to prove herself to Gemma the same way she wanted to prove herself to Clay when it came to the garage work. The two stared off another long moment before Tara glanced to Juice. "You ready? One, two, three." Tara said calmly, clamp ready as Juice pulled his hand away. A shot of blood flowed out until Tara quickly stopped it. Savannah and Juice both looked amazed as Tara and Gemma made quick work to stop the bleeding.

Juice stood over her, his expression mixed between impressed and disgusted. "Holy shit. Great job, doc." He said, his eyes never leaving the mess. "Can I go and wash my hands and stuff?" He asked, hoping to god she let him leave.

"Y-yeah." She said, distracted before she realized he was still hovering over her shoulder. Her eyes glanced to Savannah before flickering to Juice. "Hey, you did . . . you did great, Juice. You helped . . . you helped save his life. You both did." She said, glancing between them before turning her attention back to the Irishman.

Savannah was grateful for Tara saying that to him, knowing he didn't hear it often. A lot of people referred to Juice as an idiot who screwed up a lot, and she was happy to hear someone actually give him a compliment. She knew it'd mean a lot to him. "Thanks." He said, proud of himself as he glanced at Savannah, who nodded her agreement. He blushed, clearing his throat as he looked away.

"Mmhmm." She said, as if it was nothing.

Juice couldn't fight the proud smile even if he wanted to as he left the room to finally got clean up. His OCD was kicking in and just the thought of his hand having been up a man's ass for the past hour did a number on him. Savannah let the man's limp hand go, pausing as she got to her friend's side. Squeezing her arm, she gave her a thankful smile before following Juice out.

"That was very sweet." Gemma said, breaking the silence once the door closed. "No, I mean it. That guy's not use to good feedback unless it's coming from her."

Tara wasn't sure what to say, and she wasn't sure what made her more nervous. Being alone with Gemma, or trying to find her place here. This wasn't the life she wanted, but after last night she couldn't help but wonder if it was the one she was meant to have. "Okay, I'm a little out of my element here. I'm not quite sure how all of this works." She confessed to the older woman.

"For now, you keep him alive." She said, glancing at the Irishman. "Beyond that . . . I have no idea how this work."

$%^&%&

Night had fallen and the party was still going strong. Clay and Alverez had come to an agreement, unfortunately it was after the other charters had come to town. At the very least, they could throw a good party for their brothers who went through the trouble of coming to their aid. Juice sat with Chibs and Half Sack, already well on their way of being plastered. "Remind me again why you and the lass haven't screwed yet, Juicy?" Chibs said, hiccuping as he drank the last of his beer.

Juice rubbed the back of his neck. He'd already tried to get a girl for the night, but he just couldn't get into it. She wasn't the right brunette. She didn't know where to kiss him to get him going, her tone was too high pitched and she didn't have the right curves. After the let down, his mood had turned sour, no doubt his drinking wasn't helping. "Any chance I had with her disappeared when I left her back in New York. Wasn't even my choice to break up with her." He said, saying more than he would have if he wasn't drunk.

Half Sack looked surprised at the confession. "She know that?"

Juice shook his head, knowing he hadn't told her what really went down that day in the visitor's room. He didn't want to dwell on the past and wonder what could have happened if he'd just disobeyed Luka. He let her believe he chose the cowards way out because he didn't believe they could make it. He wasn't sure why, but it just made more sense at the time. "Nah, never told her about what happened. Didn't think it would change her mind if I did." He said, looking at his empty bottle with sadness.

He jumped, startled, when Chibs clapped his hand against the table. "Well, go tell her! You don't know unless you tell 'er! Who knows, maybe it'll work in your favor."

The more Juice thought about it, the more he wondered why he hadn't considered it before and how much of a great idea it was. He glanced over to see Jax and Clay still talking to some guys from another charter. That meant there was a good chance Savannah was home alone, or at the very least it was just Gemma he had to work around. Getting to his feet, he stumbled slightly when the world spun before he caught himself. "I'm gonna go do that. She's probably still up. I hope she's still up." He said, his speech slightly slurred.

The two men cheered as Juice made his way to his bike. It probably wasn't the best idea, probably the worst one he's ever had, but he wasn't sure if he'd make the walk there without talking himself out of this. As he mounted his bike, he paused a moment as the world settled before putting on his helmet and taking off. This was happened, he was determined now.

It wasn't long before Juice parked in the Morrow's driveway. He wasn't sure if Gemma was home, or if she was sleeping, so he slipped around back and texted her to come open the door. It was a good ten minutes before he considered leaving. Just as he was about to lose hope she'd answer, the door open and a tired Savannah stood there in just a Samcro shirt. "Juice, what's going? Why are you here so late?" She asked, worried but also still half asleep.

"I needed to tell you something. Why-why I broke it off that day in the prison." He blurted out before he lost his nerve.

Savannah looked confused, but he couldn't tell if it was because she wasn't fully awake or because she didn't know what he was talking about. "Juice, you're drunk. Go home. It's too early for this." She said, going to shut the door on him.

He stopped it with his hand, moving inside so she couldn't try to shut him out again. "No, no, I need to tell you. I need to tell you why I did it. I didn't want to do it, Sav. I swear, I didn't. Luka said . . . he said he'd go after you if I didn't. I didn't want to get you hurt. I didn't want you hurt." He said, almost frantically as he tried to convince her of the truth.

She seemed to wake up a bit more, trying to process what he was telling her. He took her silence as a good sign. At least she wasn't trying to push him out. Cupping her face, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I never would have told you to leave if I had a choice. I love you. I love you so fucking much it hurts not to have you in my arms." He said softly, kissing her chastely. Each kiss seemed to last a second longer before he didn't pull away.

Against her better judgement, she returned his drunken kiss. His arm slipped around her, deepening the kiss as he held her against him. The pair backed into the closest thing to them, which happened to be the kitchen island. His mouth lowered to her neck, kissing her in just the right spot to make her moan. Her hand came up, her nails scratching the end of his mohawk. "Juice," She gasped, letting her head fall to the side as her eyes closed.

He pushed his hip into her, wanting her to feel how badly he wanted her. Her leg lifted, wrapping around him as he moved in between her legs. The two spun around, stumbling slightly as they continued into the dining room. They bumped into the kitchen table before continuing on into the living room. Their mouths fought for control as they stumbled toward their destination.

The couch.

When the back of her legs hit the piece of furnature, she didn't hesitate in falling back and letting him lay her down against the cushions. His body moved with her's, laying on top of her as their hands fumbled trying to touch every inch of the other. It'd been so long since their bodies were together, since they were able to remember every curve and mark on the other's bodies.

His hand ran up her thigh, tracing the curve of her body as it slipped under her shirt. He groaned when all he felt was the small piece of lace she wore. She grinned when she felt his fingers trace the fabric. Leaning up, she nibbled on his ear. "It's the midnight blue ones with the little bow in the front, in case you're wondering." She whispered, knowing it'd torture him more.

It got the reaction she was hoping for when he groaned and pushed her legs further apart, letting his hand slip past the fabric to her core. Her head fell back, his fingers feeling fantastic as a moan slipped out of her lips. The thought to be quiet didn't even dawn on her. The small alarm in her head went off, trying to remind her this was a bad idea. He was still with Lily and she was still with Bash, but as his fingers moved inside of her she couldn't think of anything but the fact she needed more of him.

"JC, please." She begged, her back arching into him.

He grinned, nuzzling her neck. He had her right where he wanted her. Chibs was right, telling her the truth had worked. Laying up, he removed his hand from her just long enough to pull his shirt. She slipped out of the old Samcro shirt she'd been wearing, leaving her just in her panties. No bra, making this easier for his drunken self. He grinned like an idiot who just won the lottery before he lowered himself back down to her.

Their lips met, his hand finding it's way to her breast. Squeezing the nipple between his fingers earned a moan from her. She was ready for him, and he was more than ready for her. Savannah closed her eyes as he kissed her collar bone, his lips teasingly moving more south. Her eyes opened again when he stopped. She was about to ask him what happened when his snore met her ears. No way did he . . . he did.

Juice had fallen asleep on her, face deep in her breasts and his jeans pushed down to his knees. She could feel his hard on poking her and bit her lip, wondering if she could wake him up. Shaking his shoulder only seemed to make him snore loud. Groaning in frustration, she fell back against the couch cushions. Reaching up, she ran a hand through her hair. She knew her skin had to be flushed, and her hair a tangled mess from his hands. Leave it to Juice to fall asleep on her. Typical him, she thought to herself.

Shoving him off, she only felt a little guilty when he hit the floor. With a heavy sigh, she pulled her shirt back on and laid the blanket over him. She reached over and grabbed a pillow before putting it under his head. Stroking his cheek, she couldn't believe what just happened. She briefly wondered if it'd been a dream, but she knew it wasn't. They'd talk about it in the morning, she guessed. "Good night, JC." She whispered, giving him a chaste kiss before before getting up and returning to her room once she shut the back door and made sure it was locked.


	17. Back To Double Date Disasters

_Thanks for the reviews! Unfortunately this chapter was written ahead of time and I couldn't work in him waking up, but it is mentioned. There is some big stuff in this chapter though, so I hope it makes up for it lol Love Ink you know exactly what chapter this is! I hope you all like it as much as we did when I was writing it. As always, big thanks to Love Ink for telling me what sucked and what needed to be changed lol She's a big help, this story wouldn't be what it is without her! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 17_

 _$%^% &*^*%*&_

A week had passed, and Juice hadn't mentioned their kiss once. She knew he'd been drunk, but she hadn't realized he blacked it out. He didn't remember what he told her or that they almost screwed on her mother's couch that night. Not that she was quick to bring it up either. If he remembered, she had no clue. He didn't bring it up, so neither did she. It was if that night never happened, and with any hope it'd stay that way. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Lily. She hadn't been thinking when she kissed Juice back, she blamed it on not being fully awake. She knew that was bull, but it was all she had.

Savannah, Jax, and Opie were working in the garage today. Juice was across from them, trying not to notice how Savannah seemed to be counting down the minutes. She had a date. His heart felt a small tug when she'd said it. He'd been hoping after blowing him off that meant it was the end of that relationship, but obviously he'd been mistaken. They'd just rain checked and unfortunately that date happened to be today.

Savannah was conflicted though. After that kiss between her and Juice, it was hard to keep lying to herself about her feelings for him. When she found out why they'd really broken up, it changed how she looked at them. He hadn't given up on them, he'd just been trying to keep her safe. If he had told her that, she could have talked him out of it, but it was history now. There was no point fighting about it now.

The only problem now was, she didn't know what to do about Bash. She did like him a lot, but he never made her feel like Juice did. There was never that same spark she got when he touched her. When Juice kissed her, it was like her skin was on fire and she loved every second of it. She never felt more alive then when she did with him. She'd initially called to tell him they were done, but instead somehow she'd made plans to have lunch with him. She wasn't even sure Bash was still gonna talk to her after she blew him off.

Granted it was life or death situation, but she couldn't tell him that. He wasn't Samcro, he was still an outsider. It was one of the down sides of seeing him. She couldn't share her life with him like she could with Juice. Still, the excitement of an actual date made her happy. She liked going out with Bash, and maybe it was for the best since Juice was refusing to acknowledge their kiss.

"When's Donna getting back?" Jax asked, grabbing a wrench from his tool box before turning to the bike he and Opie were working on.

According to Jax, she wasn't the only one having relationship issues. Donna had had enough when Opie told her he was quitting his job to join the club fully. He couldn't do half in and half out any more, and she didn't like it. She took the kids and went away for a week, and Opie had certainly missed him. He didn't need to say it, she could just tell.

"This morning." Opie said out, tightening a bolt. He glanced back as someone drove into the other side of the garage on their bike. He hesitated before glancing over to his best friend. "You haven't said much to me since Oakland." He said softly.

"I don't have much to say, I guess." He said, grunting as he tightened another part.

Savannah glanced between them. She couldn't remember the last time Jax and Opie had a fight, and knew it couldn't be good. They didn't fight over nothing.

Opie looked conflicted, like he wanted to believe him but he didn't. He looked guilty and embarrassed about what it was. Opie only hesitated a moment before getting back to the task at hand. "You were right. I wasn't ready." He admitted, though both Teller siblings knew it had to be hard for him to do so.

Jax spared her a glance, knowing she didn't need to know what they were talking about. He didn't want Opie worrying about it either. He was actually relieved Opie couldn't go through with it. While it would have been nice for him to realize that earlier, but he was relieved he didn't go through with the kill. Even if Bobby did, Opie didn't need to have that blood on his conscious. "It's done, bro." He said, hoping he dropped it.

Jax moved around the bike to help him. Opie lifted up the cover and held it so he could get where he needed to be. Savannah continued to work on the right side of the bike. "You doing alright with all of that?" Jax asked, wanting to make sure Opie's head was in the right place.

"I'm just a bit out of practice dealing with that shit, you know?" Opie said, sparing Savannah a glance before turning his attention to Jax.

"Yeah." Jax said, focusing on the part he was tightening before leaning back. "You know, it's about something bigger, man. Club, family."

"That got you past it?" Opie asked, skeptic of his reasoning.

Jax knew his friend was lost and just trying to make all the pieces fit. He couldn't imagine the hell he went through in prison and then to come home and feel like a stranger in his life. He could see the conflict on his face, and knew he was going through something he couldn't understand. He just wished he could help him. "Yeah." He said with a nod, hoping it gave him whatever answer he was looking for.

"Hey, Jax! I'm out!" Savannah said over, cleaning up her things.

Neither man missed the way Juice tensed at her voice. His grip tightened on her wrench, again not missed by either Jax or Opie. Jax nodded, waving her off. Juice watched as she seemed to have an extra bounce in her step as she put away her things. "Sure looks like someone's jealous to me, don't you think so, Jax?" Opie chuckled, nudging his friend as he nodded his head in Juice's direction.

Jax knew this wasn't easy for Juice or Savannah, and he was hoping his sister would just give the guy a break and take him back. There was only so much sexual tension he could take. Not only that, but he didn't trust outsiders. He didn't like the boxer she'd decided to rebound with. He didn't trust him. If he had to pick anyone to be with his sister, he'd rather Juice over the fighter. "Not his fault my sister is as stubborn as our mother." He chuckled back before looking past him to the mohawked mechanic. "Hey, Juice!I hear that new sub place on Elm is good. Why don't you take a break and go grab us some food." He suggested, giving her a pointed look.

He knew what he was suggesting. Savannah must have mentioned where Bash and she were going and Jax was trying to help him out. He lasted as long as it took for her pull out of the lot and turn left before he was clocking out and heading towards his bike. Jax and Opie just chuckled and shook their heads. "Fifty says they end up screwing by the end of the night." Opie said, chuckling as he watched Juice backing his bike out once he finished sending a text.

"Dude, that's still my sister." Jax said, trying to come off pissed and disgusted at the mention of her sex life. It last all of ten seconds before a grin broke out on his face. "You're on."

#%^*&*^*&

"Hey! I'm trying to run a department here! Mind telling me how I'm gonna do that without an office?"

Lily looked up from her desk to see some woman walking out of her dad's office with some boxes. Her dad was hot on her heels, red in the face. She knew steam would be flowing out his ears if he'd been a cartoon. She watched on as Hale came out from the other doorway as the woman disappeared through it. "You knew about this?" He asked, knowing that look on his face well.

Her father was furious, waiting for his deputy to give him some kind of explanation for this. Lily tensed when she noticed the ATF bitch bring Luanne in. That woman got on her nerve quick and she didn't appreciate how she treated her father or how she led David on. "No one knew. I love a good surprise." She announced, grinning as she took in the chief's furious expression.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked, his eyes flickering past her to Luanne's departing form as she continued on.

Lily's eyes flickered between her dad and the woman curiously. She wanted the answer to that as well. With one look to David, she knew he was in on this, and she found herself disappointed in him for it. Her dad trusted him, and he went behind his back. "I'm borrowing your house for a couple of weeks. Gonna be a little tight."

"And what's your business here?" Unser asked, though both Lily and David knew it was more so he could warn Clay and the boys.

"What do you think, Chief? Huh?" The ATF agent asked rhetorically to her father as she faced him toe to toe. "I bet you've already made a call to Clay Morrow. Your personal and professional relationship with the Sons of Anarchy has been well documented." Stahl said, smirking when she knew she had one over the chief.

His concern wasn't over that known fact, then it was for his daughter who he knew was seeing one of the Sons. It could ruin any dream of a career she had if it got out. He'd seen that little insight on her life never became public knowledge, but he knew Hale knew. He was just hoping the boy had enough sense to leave her out of it. "Is that so?" He asked, his eyes narrowing on Hale.

David shook his head, his eyes flickering to the girl in question. No matter how he felt about Unser's relationship with the club, he'd never throw her under the bus like that. Lily looked nervous at the mention of the club, knowing she herself had a conflict of interest when it came to them. Fortunately, neither David or her father let that piece of information slip.

"Yeah." Stahl said, missing the look between the two officers. "Escort Chief Unser out. He poses a security risk to my investigation."

Lily's eyes widened, worried for her father. She went to stand, but her father shot her a look to stay put. He didn't need her getting in trouble for his history. Hale glanced between Unsers with worry, not having known about this part. He didn't think she'd do this to the man he knew as his mentor, let alone in front of his department and worse, his daughter.

"Yes, ma'am." One of her men said, coming over to the trio.

"You scrawny, uptight, bitch." Unser said angrily. "You don't know shit about me or this town."

Stahl leaned in closer to her father, and Lily felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest it was going so fast. If there wasn't the risk of getting fired, or worse arrested for assault, she'd be the first one to put this bitch in her place for treating her father so badly. "Why don't you take a little down time, Wayne? Play golf, go fishing, get a round of chemo. You know, relax."

With that last jab, Lily was out of her seat with her fists clenched. Hale tensed at the reaction, not liking the way this was going. "I'm sorry. Do you have a problem, miss . . . oh, would you look at that. Unser. Well, apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Just as a precaution, escort both Chief Unser and Miss Unser out." Stahl said, grinning when she saw the anger in the old man's eyes. It was amusing at best to see how much she got under his skin.

"She's got nothing to do with this." Unser said, looking from Lily to Stahl.

"He's right. Lily's not her father. Besides, she's just our secretary. She's no threat to the case." Hale spoke up, not wanting Lily mixed up with this.

Stahl could see the concern in both of their expressions for this girl. One was parental while the other was affection, it was interesting. She knew she could have overlooked the girl, but she liked to see the old man squirm too much. "I can't risk Miss secretary going home to daddy and telling him anything she overhears. It makes the point of removing the Chief from the building mute, wouldn't you agree? Let's go." She said, motioning for her men before turned and left.

One of the men touched Lily's arm, motioning to get her stuff. Raising her chin up, she refused to show her hurt as she gathered her purse and jacket. Grabbing her phone, she pulled her arm free and followed her father out. As she pasted Hale, she narrowed her eyes. She'd loved him once, thought he was a good guy, but he was no better than his family was. He saw what he wanted and didn't care who he hurt in the process.

Glancing at her phone, she saw a text from Juice asking her to lunch. Hesitating for only a moment, she sighed and texted him back asking where to meet. Some time with Juice was just what she needed.

#$%^%&*%

Savannah and Bash were having a good time. She'd gotten how much he could make her laugh. Maybe Juice had just been a distraction from what was right in front of her. Maybe she was wrong about Bash not fitting in her life. Her attraction to Juice was clouding her judgment. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself of that or if it was actually true. She was trying not to dwell on it though as they shared a sub.

She was mid-laugh when she hear the bell announcing someone coming in. Glancing over, her eyes were immediately drawn to Juice. He wasn't alone though. Lily was on his arm, and she was just as surprised to see her as she was to see them. Juice, unsurprisingly, wasn't so shocked. He knew she'd be here, not doubt thanks to her brother.

She wanted to pretend she hadn't seen them, but Juice wasn't having that. He made a bee-line right for them, something that didn't just annoy her but Lily too. "Hey, I didn't know you were heading here. I told Jax I wanted to take Lily somewhere new and he mentioned this place." He said, though she had a feeling he wasn't exactly being truthful. She couldn't call him on though, not with Lily and Bash here.

So, instead, she forced a smile and stood to hug her friend. Neither girl was comfortable, Savannah noticed, and she wondered if Lily deep down knew something was off. Bash stood as well and shook hands with Juice. It was a forced encounter all around and couldn't be more awkward. "You guys are welcome to join us. More the merrier." Bash said, though Savannah had a feeling he was just being polite.

"Sure, we'd love to." Juice said before Lily could decline.

And it just got more awkward.

The boys pulled over another table while Lily went to order for her and Juice. While she waited for the food, it left Juice alone with the couple. Savannah was fighting with everything she had not to outright glare at Juice. She knew he was doing this on purpose and she wanted to just hit the smug look on his face. "So did Sav ever tell you we went to college together? We were partners in our mechanics shop. We worked at the same diner too. Did you have to give back your taco hat or did Mrs. P let you keep it?" He finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Savannah crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes on him. "No, I didn't keep it."

Silence.

Bash rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearing his throat. His lifted when he noticed Lily coming over. He was quick to get to his feet and go help her. Anything to get away from the tension, Savannah realized. Lily thanked Bash softly before sitting down in the seat in between him and Juice with Savannah sitting across from her. "You guys would not believe the morning I've had. That ATF bitch had my dad and I thrown out. She said we were a security risk to her case." Lily said, making a quick glance to Savannah and Juice knowing they'd at least be grateful for the heads up the ATF were back.

Bash, who wasn't in the know, look perplexed as to why her and her dad would be escorted out of the station. "That's ridiculous. Your dad might have his quirks, but he's a good chief." He said, putting his hand over hers with a small smile. She returned it, thankful for his comfort.

Juice couldn't help the snort. Right, good chiefs didn't go and warn the criminals about raids and get them out of the trouble. Savannah's eyes widened, her foot kicking him to alert him he'd made the noise out loud. "Sorry, uh, went down the wrong pipe. I'm sorry, Lil. That sucks." He said, though he wasn't nearly as convincing as he should have been.

If looks could tell, Juice wasn't sure which woman's glare would have killed him first. Clearly he wasn't doing so well with either of them. Savannah shifted her gaze to Lily and her expression softened for her friend. "I'm sorry to hear about it. I've met her. That bitch has a lot of gull, that's for sure. What Hale do?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

Lily tensed, glaring at the table for a moment before she brushed her hair back and raised her gaze to her friend. "He just stood there like her little dog. He was all smug, like he was glad she was throwing my dad out. Then she attacked me and he at least looked guilty. He let it happen though, regardless of how he felt later on. God, I just wanted to smack him. I don't know what I ever saw in him." She said with a huff and she leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms with a heavy sigh.

"You and Hale use to be a thing?" Juice said, actually interested in that tidbit of information.

Lily blushed, not realizing she'd said that out loud. Savannah could see she was nervous about Juice's reaction. "He wishes. Lily was always out of his league. Jax couldn't even score a date with her, and trust me he tried. Lil, you remember that stunt Jax pulled trying to impress you?" She said, hoping to change the subject from Hale to something else.

Lily looked grateful for the subject changed and nodded. "Yeah he tried throwing rocks at my window, but didn't realize it was my parents room not mine. I don't think I've seen him run so fast before." She laughed before taking a sip of her drink.

Savannah actually laughed, happy to see at least the awkwardness between them was broken. Now if only Juice would disappear, it'd actually be a nice lunch. Bash chuckled, glancing between them. "Now I feel old. I forgot you both went to high school together. It's bad enough those two went to college together. I guess I'm the odd ball out." Bash chuckled, not realizing the can of worms he'd just opened. Lily hadn't known Juice and Savannah went to college together.

At least, not to their knowledge.

Lily tensed at the mention. The only thing he did was confirm her suspicions about Juice and Savannah's history, and the fact Savannah had at least been truthful with Bash about it. Neither had thought to mention it to her though. Bash looked around the table when it suddenly fell silent and he noticed the grim expressions. "Oh, I didn't know you didn't . . . you didn't know they went to college together? Well, that's awkward." He said, rubbing his neck. It was a nervous habit of his when he felt uncomfortable, Savannah noticed.

"No, no they didn't. Um, I'm gonna go get a refill." She said, excusing herself before Savannah could open her mouth to apologize.

Bash looked between them, wondering why they didn't tell Lily. It made him wonder if he had the full story of just how involved they were back in New York. He knew they'd been close and Juice had broken up with her. She was hurt by it, but maybe there was more to it then that. Savannah got up before he could ask. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Excuse me." She said quickly, hurrying off as fast as she could without full out sprinting.

Juice looked at his phone and cleared his throat as he stood up. "I gotta take this. Tell Lily I'll be right back."

Bash looked lost as he watched Juice head off into the same direction as Savannah. To put in the extra effort, he even opened his phone and raised it to his ear as if he really was talking to someone on the other end. He just prayed no one actually called him before he could get to the bathroom.

Pushing open the door, he was happy to find the room empty besides the brunette who was leaning against the sink. Her hands were on either side, gripping the white porcelain as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Did you forget how to read signs, Juice? This is the women's bathroom. Get out." She said, only flickering her gaze to see that it was him who'd come in.

Stuffing his hands in his pocket, he just shrugged. "Not the first time I've been in one."

That definitely didn't surprise her. The way he got around in college, he had to have made a trip to one at least once. Rolling her eyes, she pushed herself off the sink and turned to face him. "Why are you here, Juice? You knew this was a date, and don't give me a bullshit excuse either." She said, her eyes narrowing on him.

To his credit, he didn't shrink back from her glare. He didn't even flinch. He'd gotten worse looks from her before, this was no problem. "Wanted to crash. You know good and well why. This loser isn't for you, Sav. He can't handle your life. You got nothing in common with him." He said, finally moving from his spot in front of the door.

He was still blocking the only exit, unless she was desperate enough to try to squeeze through the tiny window she had no chance of reaching. Scoffing, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Her eyes stayed narrowed in on him. "And who can handle my life? You? Just because you got the top rocker, Juice, doesn't mean you can handle this life." She said, knowing for a fact she wasn't wrong about that. Her dad was living proof this life wasn't for everyone and that if you couldn't handle it the life was going to swallow you whole.

"I didn't mean me, but it's certainly not him. I know you, Savannah. I know how you like to sleep on the side closest to the window because you like being cold rather than too warm. I know how you hate eating more than waffles before you're really awake. You prefer just coffee, waffles if you need to. I know you're scared of letting me, anyone, back in because of how I hurt you. I know I had a dozen chances before and I fucked them all up, but I'm asking for just-just one more chance, _please_. Please, Savannah. Ditch this guy. Lily will get over it. Come on, one more chance." He begged, moving closer with each plea.

She wasn't sure when he was suddenly in front of her, but it startled her all the same. How dare he ask for another chance? After her threw it away all those years ago. Then again, thanks to his confession the other night, she knew now it wasn't by his own choice. Did that change how she looked at things? Did it change how she felt about him? They were in love before, could they get back to that place and rebuilt what they lost? She wasn't sure, and she hated him for causing her this confliction. She hated him for making her make this decision.

With all she had, she shoved him. He stumbled back in surprise, but he was expecting the next hit that came and still took it. He didn't move after the third shove. She needed this. When her fingers suddenly gripped his kutte, he was taken back when she pulled him to her instead of pushed him away again. He didn't resist as their lips crashed together. If anything, he surged to life as his hands found her waist and pulled her flat against him.

The kiss was full of frustration and anger as they battled for control. Her teeth caught his bottom lip and tugged, almost biting hard enough to draw blood. Her eyes lifted, hunger hidden behind her dark eyes. His dick twitched in his pants, pushing against the seams of his jeans until it became too uncomfortable. "You keep looking at me like that and I'm not stopping this time. I don't give a damn who walks in." He said, his voice husky as he licked his lips.

Savannah couldn't help letting the laugh slip from her lips. He was giving her chance to put the brakes on this before it went too far. Bash and Lily were waiting for them just a few feet away, but all she could think about was having Juice inside of her again. Her body craved him after being so close to having him just a few days ago. She needed to be stretched by him, needed him to bury himself as deep inside of her until she saw stars.

She knew he'd give her exactly what she needed, he just needed the okay from her. This was usually where something or someone would interrupt them, but she didn't want to stop. She was tired of pushing him away. She lifted herself up onto the sink and pulled him over by tugging on his belt. Her legs widened, wrapping around his waist as she looked up to meet his chocolate brown eyes. She leaned up and licking the side of his neck. Her teeth caught his earlobe, a grin appearing on her lips when she heard him groan. "Who's stopping you?" She whispered, biting her lip when she felt a shiver go down his spine.

His eyes lowered down her frame lazily, his fingers tugging down the zipper to her jacket until it was undone and she was taking it off. "Good point He said, his eyes lingering on the bra he could see through her shirt. It was purple lace, a color he liked on her. "Really good point." He said, licking his lips as his eyes stayed trained on her breasts.

"You can oogle later, Juice. Just fuck me already before someone comes in." She whispered, tugging his belt free as she undid his button and zipper. Her fingers suddenly paused as a thought came to her. "Please tell me you have a condom." She said, knowing if he didn't this was going to have to stop that second.

His eyes widened, having forgotten about that little detail. Shit, did he have a condom? He never left without one, but this would be the first time. Searching his pockets, his head dropped when he was coming up empty. Moving his search to his kutte, he was relieved when he found one. His face lit up as she took it. He watched as she ripped it open with her teeth, her eyes never breaking their eye contact. "Shit, Sav. You trying to kill me?" He chuckled, pushing his jeans and boxers down in one move.

Taking the condom from her, he slipped it on as she took off her own pants. It felt like an eternity before he pulled her back to him, crashing his lips onto hers as he pushed into her. He groaned in relief. Finally. He buried his face in her neck, breathing her in as he filled her to the hilt. Her gasp sent a shiver down his spine. His grip on her thigh tightened, his hips rotating as a groan released from his throat. After so many years, so many almost encounters like this one since she got home, there was nothing to interrupt them this time.

Well, besides the fact their dates were waiting for them out in the dining room.

#$^&&$&

When Lily returned to the table, she was worried when she didn't see Juice or Savannah. After having her suspicions confirmed, she didn't like the thought of them alone together. Bash had said Savannah went to the bathroom and Juice had a phone call, but she could tell he didn't seem to buy it anymore than she did. Neither of them were stupid, but they were going to give the pair the benefit of the doubt because they didn't want to believe anything else.

"I am sorry to hear what that ATF agent did to you and your dad. He's a good man, Lil. He let me get away with a lot of shit when I was younger." Bash said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

He didn't want to think about what was taking Savannah so long and if she was actually alone in that bathroom. She didn't want to think about it either. Clearing her throat, she straightened in her seat and brushed her hair back. "Look where that kindness got him. I'm just . . . disappointed. David looked so smug while it was happening. My dad helped him get to where he is. He mentored him to be better than him, and then for him to . . . just stand there, I never wanted to hit someone so badly in my life." She said, confessing to the boxer something she hadn't even thought to tell Juice.

Lately their relationship had become more physical than anything else. While she didn't mind the physical part, she missed just talking to him. She had to wonder if it was him trying to keep her at arms length because the girl he really wanted was back. Lily had a bad feeling that if Savannah wanted him back, he'd drop her in a second and go running.

Hearing Bash's laughter brought her back from her thoughts and made her raise her head to give him a sharp look. He held up his hands, not meaning to offend her. "Sorry, sorry. I just can't picture you hitting someone. Do you even know how to punch?" He asked curiously, not intending to sound like he was mocking her. He was genuinely curious to know the answer.

Scoffing, she crossed her arms under her chest and narrowed her eyes on him. Unfortunately, for her, it didn't make her look anymore intimidating. "Of course I do. My dad taught me when I started high school. He wanted me to be able to protect myself." She said, not liking the fact he found it so amusing that she knew how to defend herself.

When he saw she was taking his amusement the wrong way, he quieted his laughter and cleared his throat. "I wasn't mocking you. You're just . . . so small. Delicate. I can't picture you, the pencil skirt wearing secretary, actually fighting. Maybe you should come by the gym sometime and show me what that actually looks like." He said, not double meaning behind his offer. He respected Lily, and he was really curious to see how she'd hold her own in a fight.

A blush crepted up her neck to her cheeks. Brushing her hair back, she tried to fight back a smile but failed. He smiled back at the sight of it. "Maybe I will, just without the skirt." She said, causing his smile to grow in approval. Pushing her chair back, she stood from her seat. "I'm gonna go see how Sav's doing in the bathroom. She'd been in there a while." She said with a glance in the direction the bathrooms were.

Moving around the table, she squeezed his shoulder on the way as she passed him. Making her way into the bath, she noticed Juice wasn't anywhere in sight, but that didn't mean anything. He could be in the men's room or slipped out the back to take his phone call. She didn't want to consider any other option. He wouldn't do that to her. Not while she was ten feet away. More importantly, Savannah wouldn't do that to her. They were best friends, men problem aside.

The walk to the women's restroom seemed to be a mile as her stomach knotted in dread to what she'd fine. In a perfect world, she was hoping Savannah was just not feeling well, or she was just hiding out trying to figure out what to say to her after the reveal of her and Juice's past, but then again nothing about today had been going her way. She pushed open the door slowly and felt her stomach drop at what she found inside.

Juice had Savannah bent over the sink as he thrusted into her from behind. With one hand on her waist, his other was entwined with hers against the wall. His head was buried in her neck, breathing hard as he rotated his hips. Savannah's head had fallen back onto his shoulder, her eyes closed with her lip sucked in between her teeth.

Tears filled Lily's eyes. It felt like her heart had shattered. She felt sick to her stomach watching the way Juice fucked Savannah. Her brain was screaming at her to run, her heart screamed at her to go in there and tear them a new one. Make them at least pretend to be ashamed of their actions. Sav was her best friend, Juice her boyfriend. How could they do this? She wanted to ask them, but no words came to her. She wanted to leave, run, but her feet felt like they were strapped down by lead weights.

"Fuck, I love you."

Lily's eyes widened when she heard the whispered words leave Juice's mouth. It seemed to snap her out of her trance. Turning around, she couldn't move fast enough as she hurried back down the hall. She didn't even stop to make sure the door didn't slam behind her. Bile rose in her throat. Holding her stomach, she didn't fight the tears that fell.

Bash rose from his seat when he saw her emerge from the hallway. Confusion crossed his face when he saw how upset she was. Her eyes only flickered to him as she hurried right by him. Glancing back to the direction she'd come from, Bash was conflicted on what to do. Follow Lily and comfort her, or go and see for himself what upset her so badly. He had a feeling if he did the latter option, it'd end up with someone getting hurt.

"Lily, wait!" He called out, jogging to catch up with her.

Lily skidded to a stop when she walked out and right into Juice's bike. A part of her wanted to be that girl who could just push it over. It was his baby. He loved that thing more than life itself, and she knew it'd hurt him if it got any damage.

"Lily!" Bash called out as he pushed the door open.

Startled, she turned around to face him. Her body shook, tears now staining her cheeks. She looked like a mess, and he was really wondering whether or not he wanted to ask her what got her so upset. "I don't want to talk about it. I can't . . . I can't even process what that was yet. Please, I just want to leave." She said, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

As badly as he knew he should ask what happened, he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach he already knew. Lily looked ready to crumble apart though, and he just wanted to help her. She'd been nice to him over the past few years when they had the occasional run in. She really was a sweet girl, and she didn't deserve this treatment by Juice.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he glanced back with a look of confliction. Running out on Savannah seemed like a crappy thing to do, but he had a feeling she wouldn't even notice. Not when Juice was there. Whatever Lily had seen, only confirmed what he didn't want to believe. A part of him still didn't want to believe it.

"Bash, please." Lily asked, pleading with him to just leave with her.

He wasn't sure if she was asking because she didn't want to be alone, or if she knew if he went back inside and found whatever had upset her he'd only make the situation worse. She was trying to protect him. He would have laughed at the idea if not for the seriousness of the current predicament they seemed to be in. Clearing his throat, he finally nodding in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, come on. We can go to the gym. Should be pretty dead right about now." He said, motioning for her to follow.

Lily seemed to hesitate now, glancing back to Juice's bike. For a moment, Bash wondered if she was reconsidering leaving, but to his surprise she went up to the bike and gave it a good kick. It seemed to do more damage to her foot, but she was trying her best not to show it. "Alright, Rocky. Let's go see how you do facing an actual punching bag." He teased, trying to lighten the mood.

The brunette narrowed her eyes on him for a brief moment, before rolling her eyes and heading over to him. He was trying not to take notice of how she winced a little when she put pressure on her hurt foot. It'd ruin any satisfaction she had from hitting the bike in the first place.

"So does that make you Adrian?" She asked, surprising him when she gave him a small smile.

He let out a barking laughing that seemed to startle her before she returning his smile with an actual one. Lily glanced up at Bash and found herself grateful he didn't push. He knew she was upset, and she knew he had to be curious about what she saw. She also knew he liked Savannah, and he wasn't ready to know. He had to see it for himself, and she just hoped she could be as good a friend to him as he was being to her now.

"You always got me in your corner." He said, nudging her gently.

She realized than that maybe, just maybe, today was finally starting to look up.


	18. Back To The Beginning

_Thanks for the reviews! I can't believe I'm at 100 reviews already! You guys are amazing! I love hearing all your ideas! It really helps with the muse and keeping it going. Big thanks as always to Love Ink for helping me with this chapter. I do not own anything in this video, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 18_

 _#$%^%^$ &%*^&_

After the disaster that was her date with Bash that ended up being her and Juice fucking in the bathroom and coming out to find their dates gone, Savannah wasn't sure what to do. She knew her and Juice were in the process of getting back together. He wanted it to just pick up where they left off, but she couldn't. Too much had happened since they broke up. She wasn't the same girl and he wasn't the same boy as he had been then.

It wasn't just that. It was Bash and Lily. They both owed them a face to face conversation. Lily deserved to hear from her what was happening. How Juice was the man from her past and her feelings for him weren't going away. Bash deserved to know she did care about him, but she couldn't honestly pretend they had a future when she couldn't leave Juice in her past. They both deserved to much better.

Maybe that was why she'd been holding Juice at arms length since they hooked up. She couldn't take the guilt. As badly as she wanted him, she couldn't do it until she talked to Lily and Bash. So why was she putting it off still? Juice had already tried to call Lily, though it was ignored. He left her messages saying they needed to talk, but she still hadn't gotten back to him. Savannah had a feeling she wouldn't for the same reason Savannah couldn't find it in herself to call Bash. This was going to be the hardest part, and both girls were putting it off as long as possible.

Of course, it'd be easier if Juice wasn't pushing her to tell Bash. He didn't want to waste anymore time. They'd been apart long enough, and he wanted her back in his life for real. They'd been so close before. Living together. Paying their bills as a couple would. Hell, they even had the talk about starting a family before. It was different now, and maybe that was why she was putting it off.

She was scared.

Scared of jumping back into that relationship when they're not ready to be there. They weren't the same people anymore, and she didn't want to rush to get back to where they were. They rushed before, and it was a mess. Sure, it worked, but it was too much too fast. Juice had been living in his car, just barely getting by. They were taking classes and living in a dorm like apartment. They didn't pay rent, or cable, or electricity.

They weren't ready to have a real place of their own. They needed to get to know each other again, needed to work on their problems from the first go around. Trust was still an issue they had to work on. Even if he hadn't pushed her away for the reason she thought, they still kept secrets from each other and that had been their downfall.

Savannah had been thinking about this since that afternoon, and she still didn't have any better of a clue as to what to do than she did then. So, she decided to instead focus on her job and put off dealing with it for as long as she could. At least, she was trying to do that. It was hard to do that when Juice suddenly couldn't keep his hands off her. He was worst than a kid on Halloween when all they want to do is eat more candy but can't.

Currently, Juice was leaning over her as she tightened a loose wire. His hand was raised above them, holding the car hood open while the other hand found its' way to her hip, turning her so she was facing him. He reached up and brushed back her hair, stroking her cheek. "You got a little grease on you." He said, though she knew there was no grease mark. He just wanted a reason to touch her. They hadn't hooked up since that day in the restaurant bathroom, but it wasn't for the lack of trying on his part.

She just couldn't do it. The first was a lapse in judgment. They got caught up in the moment, and she didn't want to be that girl. She hated that Juice put her in a position to be that girl, but she didn't regret that it happened. Just how and when it happened. She wanted things to be set right between her and Bash and even her and Lily before anything progressed between them.

Again, that'd be easier if he didn't do everything in his power to try and seduce her. Rolling her eyes, she had to bite back a smirk as she turned back to her task at hand. His nose nuzzled her neck, a grin spread across his face. "You smell amazing. Good enough to eat." He whispered into her ear, furthering his point as he nibbled on her ear. His smile growing when he felt the shiver go down her spine.

"Promises. Promises." She teased, pulling away before he could make good on his words.

She knew if he started something, she wouldn't be able to stop it. She wouldn't want to. Moving out of his arms' reach, she moved to her tool chest and looked for a new wrench. Sighing, he rolled his eyes, knowing why she was pulling away. "You gotta talk to him, Sav. It's been too long already, and I want to move this forward. Not just for the sex, even though it was great. Really fucking great, actually. I want us back. I want to take you home and just pig out on the couch watching those crappy movies again." He said lowly, not wanting any of the other men in the room to overhear them.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles was a great movie and you secretly loved it." She said, completely brushing off his comment about Bash.

He shot her a look, knowing what she was doing. "That's not the point, Sav. When are you gonna tell him?"

Savannah looked away guilty, not knowing what to tell him. She wanted to tell Bash what was going on, how she couldn't see him anymore, but the idea terrifyed her. Juice, unfortunately, thought it was because on some level she did want to stay with Bash and not him. "Do you want to stay with him?" He asked, needing to know for sure. He needed to hear it from her mouth.

Savannah looked surprised by the question, shaking her head quickly. She reached over and squeezed his hand, giving him a reassuring smile that brought some relief to him. "No, no, of course not, Juice. I just . . . have to figure out what to say. He's my friend, and I . . . I actually liked going to Lumpy's for more than just a hook up." She said, hoping he understood.

She could tell he didn't like it, but he didn't voice it to her. Instead, he kept his mouth shut and nodded in understanding. He didn't like it, that much was clear, but he was trusting her. Something she was finding hard to do with him. "I need to talk to Lily too. She's my best friend and I . . . how this happened wasn't fair to her. She deserved better. I wouldn't feel right doing this without her hearing it from me." She went on, knowing he'd at least agree with that.

She knew he did care for Lily, and she could see the guilt in his eyes when he tried to call her and left the message. He didn't like how things went down any more than she did, at least where Lily was concerned. The flash of guilt in his eyes just further proved that to her. "At least I'm trying to get Lily to talk to me. You haven't even messaged Bash. I know he's been blowing up your phone, so I don't understand why you haven't told him yet. I can't help but think maybe you haven't done it yet because you really don't want to. Do you regret us hooking up that day?" He asked, moving to stand in front of her.

Savannah wished she could tell him every thought she had about this mess. She wished she could put it into words how she was feeling, but she couldn't. She couldn't explain how guilty she felt for what had to happen. She didn't know how to tell him without it coming out wrong. She loved him, she had no doubts about that, but she was hurting two people she cared about because of that love. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done.

Taking his hand, she raised it to her lips and kiss his palm before putting it on her cheek. His chocolate eyes searched hers, wondering where this was going. "I don't regret being with you, Juice. The way I feel when I'm with you, it hasn't changed. I just . . . I've seen how this life is. That stupid on the road rule you guys have. Our own history with Mel. I didn't want it to happen like it did. I didn't want to be that girl who hooked up with someone while I'm on a date with someone else. That's not me. I want this. I do, but I want to do it right." She said, pleading with him to understand.

He tensed at the mention of his old girlfriend. He hadn't thought about her in years, and just the fact it was still a mark against him didn't sit well with him. Maybe she was right. They weren't the same people they were before, and he just had to prove he was better than he was before. Not worse. He stroked her cheek, tilting his head as he smiled softly. "Then we'll do it right. Fresh start, alright? You and me, this is gonna work this time. I know it is." He said, leaning his head against hers.

Closing his eyes, he had to believe that. He refused to consider any other outcome. Savannah Teller was the girl for him, and he'd be damned if anyone stopped that from happening. Closing the space between them, he pressed his lips against hers. He lingered for as long as he could, relieved when he felt her respond to his kiss, before he pulled back. "I still say the movie was better than you think it was." She said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

He let out a loud laugh, the seriousness of their conversation leaving as soon as it came. Savannah had a knack for doing that. It was one of the reason he loved her. "Agree to disagree. Babe, they had a giant talking rat. It was a joke." He said, chuckling as he shook his head. She laughed with him, the sound making him smile more. It was music to his ears.

Neither noticed the heart broken boxer standing just a few feet away. The bouquets of roses crinkled in his hands before he gritted his teeth and left before he was seen. Bash felt conflicted, a part of him wanted to go in there and beat the hell out of Juice again, but the smarter half of him knew better. He'd get his chance, but he was just too angry right now. Lily was right, and seeing it just seemed to confirm what he already knew.

He'd lost Savannah before he'd ever really had her.

#$%^*(*

After their shifts, Juice and Savannah had migrated over to the clubhouse. It was finally calm, and a few of the boys were enjoying it. While Tig and Chibs were playing pool, Juice was sitting at the bar with his laptop open as he scrolled through different bikes. Savannah sat beside him, her head rested on his shoulder as she watched the computer screen in front of her. Her nails scratched the end of his mohawk, a comforting gesture she'd use to do when they were just hanging out in the apartment. His hand was rested on her upper thigh, his finger tracing the seam on her jeans subconsciously.

Gemma's eyes were watching the pair curiously. Savannah hadn't mentioned anything to her, but she didn't have to. She'd seen how they acted together before back in New York. They were comfortable with each other. Something must have happened between them, and Gemma was surprisingly alright with it more now than she had been before. She knew Juice cared for her, he'd stood up to her on Savannah's account before. It wasn't just that though. He was patched now. He wouldn't try taking her away from her home. He was no longer a distraction.

"You alright with that?" Bobby said, giving her a beer.

Gemma leaned back in her chair, watching the pair and how natural they seemed to be. It was how her and JT use to be before everything went insane. A small smiled played on her lips before she cracked open her beer and nodded. "Yeah, for now. 'bout time she dropped that wanna be boxer." Gemma said with an eye roll.

"So long as he gets his head back in the game, don't see why it's a problem. He hasn't been focused since she came home. Know Clay was worried about that." Bobby said, his eyes flickering to the couple.

Juice moved his hand off her thigh as they two shifted around. Savannah slipped off her stool and moved to sit in between his legs. His free hand slipped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. Gemma was about to make a comment when Clay came out from the chapel on his cell, talking to whomever was on the other end. "Rosen?" She asked, turning in her chair to see him.

Bobby straightened, turning to his president as Tig and Chibs came around the pool table. Clay looked between the four closest to him "Yeah, Luanne's in the clear. Otto, not so much." He said before he glanced around the room. He spotted Piney spread out on the couch while Juice and Savannah occupied the bar. They looked a little too comfortable for his liking, but he wasn't going to let it ruin his good mood. If it became an issue, he'd take of it then.

"Why? What happened?" Bobby asked.

Putting his hands on his hips, he couldn't hold back the chuckle. Not that he really tried that hard in the first to Bobby, his expression turned to one of amusement. "He shattered Stahl's face." He said, grinning when he heard the laughter that followed.

"Oh, I love that man!" Tig laughed.

"Oh!" Chibs exclaimed.

"He was trying to prove to the club he wasn't gonna give anything up." Clay said, heading over to the bar for a beer. "We're in the clear of the ATF, ladies and germs!" He exclaimed, grinning as he looked around the room.

The bar exploded in a roar of cheers. Even Savannah clapped before she and Juice turned their attention back to the laptop. It felt so easy just to slip back into this. Even if they still weren't technically back together, it was just less . . . stressful now. That pent up frustration was gone and there wasn't anymore lies between them. Sure, she still had to talk to Lily and Bash before things went any further, but they were as good as back together now.

Juice's eyes scanned the screen boredly. He'd rather be in his dorm room with Savannah, but she'd made it clear where they stood. Even if he didn't like it, he was gonna respect her enough not to push that much. It was getting to the point he was seriously starting to wonder if she'd ever talk to Bash, or if she was stalling because she changed her mind about him. As much as he wanted to believe her when she said that wasn't the case . . . well, actions spoke louder than words.

His thoughts trailed off as he looked up at the security monitors. _Shit_. He had to take a double take to make sure he had seen it right. "Clay, cops." He said in a rush as he shut his lap top. He had just enough time to raise himself and Savannah up from the stool before the door broke down. He kept a firm grip on her as the glass shattering when the door hit it.

"Everybody down! Everybody on the ground now!" One of the men shouted out as they all broke through the door and came into the club with their guns aimed and ready.

Savannah was caught off guard when she was suddenly thrown to the ground. Juice struggled when he saw how hard she'd hit the ground, but he was pushed down to his knees beside her before being shoved onto his stomach. They shared a look, needing to know the other was alright. "You okay?" He whispered.

She gave him a weak smile and a nod, even if she was anything but okay. Their eyes shifted around the room, watching as they hand cuffed Bobby. She gave his foot a small kick to get his attention when she noticed someone else coming behind the men. It was the woman who had made it her mission to turn their town upside down. Stahl.

"Robert Munson, you're under arrest for the murder of Brenan Hefner." The officer holding Bobby said as he cuffed him.

"Who?" Bobby asked, coming off confused though he was anything but.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." The officier said, reading him his rights before leading him off to get outside to the squad car.

"I'll call Rosen, Bobby. You just sit tight." Clay said out before he was kicked in the side. Jax was quick to snap a sharp 'hey' before getting pushed down again.

"Hey, bitch!" Gemma snarled, spitting at the agent's shoes.

Savannah gritted her teeth when she saw Stahl give Gemma a swift kick to the ribs. Juice was quick enough to grab hold of Savannah's hand, warning her not to join in as well like he knew she wanted to. The officers lingered for a moment, to make sure the others didn't try anything as they escorted Bobby out before they followed out themselves.

Once they were cleared out, Juice was quick to get up to his feet, helping Savannah up with him. He cupped her face, looking her over to make sure that she was really alright. She touched his hand covering her cheek, appreciating the concern. "I'm alright, Juice. I swear. I've been roughed up by cops before." She said, trying to come off teasing but his frown only deepend. The cops had to hold her down when he was arrested because she was struggling too much.

"Doesn't make it right." He said quietly, his eyes narrowed on the floor.

She seemed to realize where his head had gone and sighed. Squeezing his hand, he turned his head back to her and she reached up to stroke his cheek. "Hey, don't go there. Everything worked out in the end. We're here. It took some time, but we got back here. Go figure out what's going on." She said, resting her head against his. He closed his eyes, his hand resting on her hips as he held her against him. He just needed a second to breathe before he got pulled back into the chaos currently going on.

That second didn't last long as he hoped it would.

"Juice, get a move on!" Jax called over.

Juice sighed, kissing Savannah's head before he pulled away. Savannah squeezed his hand before letting his it slip from hers as he moved further away. Glancing over his shoulder, she gave him a small nod of encouragement before he disappeared inside of the other room. Jax followed him inside, closing the doors behind them. Savannah sighed, glancing to her mother who moved to stand beside her. "Things are about to explode, aren't they?" She asked, crossing her arms as she kept her eyes on the closed chapel doors.

Gemma sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around her daughter. "Yeah, baby. I think they are."

The two women stood there for another moment before they finally pulled away from the other and shifted around. Savannah suddenly didn't want to be here, and Gemma just wanted to do something to get her mind off what just happened. "I got something I need to do." Savannah said, though she wasn't sure why. Maybe she just felt like she needed to say something.

"Yeah, alright. You be careful. We don't know what's going on." Gemma said, grabbing her papers from the floor.

"Ditto." Savannah said.

Smiling sadly, she nodded her head and she headed out.

#$#%^*&(

 _Lumpy's_.

The sign never filled her with so much dred as it did now. Usually she came her to find a peace of mind after an exhausting day, but now? Now she wanted to be anywhere but here. It had to happen sooner or later though, she knew that for a fact. She knew she couldn't be with Juice guilt-free without doing this. She had to talk to Bash, tell him to his face it wasn't going to work. Not just because of Juice, though he was a big part, but because it wasn't fair of her to use him like she had been.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and headed inside. Maybe she'd be lucky and Bash wouldn't be here. Somehow she doubt she'd get that lucky, since Bash basically lived here. Maybe it'd be for the best if he was here and she got this over with. The longer she stalled, the worse it would be. She'd just tell him the truth. She doesn't see a future with him, and it's not fair of her to string him along when they both know it's going nowhere. It was nice while it lasted, but it was a fling that tried to be something more and wasn't meant to be.

Was that too harsh? _Shit_.

What if she just told him it wasn't him, it was her? It honestly was. It wasn't fair to him for her to let this go on when she loved someone else. Was it lame for her to use the cliche 'it's not you, it's me' line? _Crap_. Why can't this just be easy? Why couldn't she just tell him it was over and walk out. No, she couldn't do that because then she really would be an asshole.

Well, _fuck_.

Savannah wasn't sure what she was going to say, but suddenly any words she even consider vannished as she stopped short. Bash was here alright, but he wasn't alone. He was training someone in the ring, and not just anyone. He was training Lily. Savannah quickly moved to the side, to keep herself from being seen. She wasn't ready to face Lily yet, she wasn't even sure she was ready to face Bash. Yet they were both here.

She watched as Lily made a swing toward Bash, stumbling forward before he grabbed her arm and twisted her around so her back was against his chest. It was so intimate, a moment that should anger her. Only, it didn't. She wasn't jealous at all by how close they were, and it only furthered her reasoning to breaking things off with Bash officially.

A small smile played on Savannah's lips as she watched Bash whisper something in Lily's ear, grinning before she laughed and shoved him off. Lily raised her hands again, ready to try whatever they were doing again. She stood there for another moment, watching Bash calling out instructions and Lily following them. He honestly was training her, and not like how he'd half ass it with her before they moved things somewhere more private. In all the chaos their little love square had become, at least one friendship made it out alive.

Savannah slipped out of the gym before someone noticed her. She couldn't do it. She didn't have the guts to interrupt them and face not just Bash, but Lily too. She just wasn't ready for that. It might be chickening out, but it didn't change the facts. She'd screwed over her friend in a way she wasn't sure could be forgiven and she wasn't ready to face those consequences. Not only that, she'd be losing the friend she'd made in Bash as well. She knew those friendships were as good as dead after that disaster of a double date, but there was still the illusion of everything being alright and she wasn't ready to let that go.

Lily swung, attempting a right hook, but Bash was quicker and dodged before grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back. Wincing, she gritted her teeth when she got a jolt of pain. "Why can't I get this?" She huffed, frustrated in her failed attempts.

"Because you're not focused. You're getting frustrated and it's clouding your thinking. Just relax, you'll get it eventually." Bash said as he released her from his grip.

Rubbing her arm, she scrunched up her face in contempt. They'd been at this for an hour and still she wasn't doing any better. They'd been training for her physical part of her entrance exam to join the academy, but so far she couldn't land a good punch to save her life. "We've been at this for days, Bash. I'm not getting any better." She said, leaning down to grab her water.

He reached over and grabbed his own before wrapping his towel around his neck. He knew she was getting frustrated at the lack of progress, but he also knew this stuff took more than a few days of running and practicing some boxing moves. They weren't going to get anywhere if she didn't think she could though. "I'd have to disagree. You've stamina has started to improve, you've been able to run longer than when we first started, and your upper cut is improving too. You just need more practice. This shit takes time." He said as he unwrapped his hands. He knew they were done for the day.

Lily leaned against the ropes, taking a long sip of her water. "I know it does. I just . . . I'm nervous about this test. The written part, no problem. Psych evalution, that's tricky, but the physical? I can't screw it up. I'm already at a disadvantage because of my size. I want to make my dad proud." She confessed, her eyes lowering to the floor beneath her feet.

It made sense then why this was so important to Lily. She wanted to prove to her dad that she could do this. She wanted to be the cop he'd be proud to have in his department, even if he was no longer chief of it. She mentioned he had cancer before, and had stayed on as chief longer than he was meant to. There was only so long he could stall before they forced him to retire his badge though, and Lily wanted him to know Charming would be in good hands.

He wasn't a fan of either Hale brother, but the younger brother seemed to be the lesser of the two evils. From what Lily told him recently though, he was starting to think David Hale was just as bad as his brother. All he saw was what he wanted, and it didn't matter who got hurt in the process of getting there. That was proof enough by how he acted when that ATF agent had Lily and her father escorted out of the building.

Squeezing her shoulder, he wanted to show his support. Lily looked up and smiled sadly as she placed her hand on top of his. She was grateful for the shoulder to lean on. It was hard not to have Savannah to talk to, but after what she saw, she wasn't sure she could stomach even looking at her right now, if ever. Juice wasn't even an option, but Bash was better than nothing. He'd really been there for her since that awful date, and she wouldn't have been able to get through it without him being here to help distract her.

Their stare lasted longer than she was comfortable with. The wound from her disaster of a relationship with Juice was still raw, and she was nowhere near ready to even consider something new with anyone else. She knew Bash wasn't over Savannah either, the crushed flowers she'd found in the garbage were proof enough of that. Besides, she wouldn't want to do anything to ruin their friendship. His friendship was helping her through some tough times, and she couldn't imagine how she'd get through them without him.

Clearing her throat, she dropped her hand and moved out of his reach. "I should get home so I can get in a shower. I gotta go looking for a job while I'm on suspention. Who knows how long this case is gonna last and when I'll be able to go back." She said, slipping between the ropes before hopping down.

Bash followed her out, watching her as she headed into the locker room. "I'm sure Lumpy could use some help sorting out that mess he calls a filing system. Nothing spectacular, but better than waitressing, right?" He suggested, following her into the back.

Lily stopped short, surprised by the offer. "You're offering me a job? Can you do that?"

Bash grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. He was trying to come off like it was no big deal, but he came off more cocky than anything else. "Well, yeah. I'll run it by him first, but I don't see the problem. It won't be forever, and Lumpy's filing system seriously needs a look over." He said, hoping she accepted his offer. She looked reluctant, but soon enough she sighed. She had caved just like he hoped she would.

"When can I start?"


	19. Back To Making Bets and Breaking Hearts

_Thanks for the reviews! Sorry for the gap in updating, I've hit a writing slump and can't seem to kick it. Big thanks to LoveInk for helping me out with this chapter, it wouldn't be what it is without your help! If you haven't checked out her story Hands All Over, what are you waiting for? It's awesome! Definitely worth checking out! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 19_

 _$#%^ &%%&*_

Everything was a mess. While Savannah was chickening out talking to Bash, Opie and his family had been detained while Bobby was arrested for a murder. The name was vaguely familiar to her, but she never tried too hard to remember anything she might have overheard. At least nothing that could blow up and hurt her family. Obviously, she didn't judge too well on this one.

Maybe it was better she didn't know much though, seeing as Stahl had a thing for going after the women of the club. Of course they wouldn't talk, not even Donna who hated the club. She wouldn't do that to Opie because of how much he loved the club, and if she hurt the club she'd be hurting him. She wouldn't risk him being sent away again. The only one stupid enought to rat was Cherry, which must be why she suddenly wasn't around. Not that she was complaining. The sweetbutt had been nothing but trouble since she blew into town. She was nice, yeah, but still a problem.

Savannah was waiting for her order of muffins and coffee. She knew the guys had a party last night, and would be in need of some caffine. Especially Juice. He didn't function without at least some kind of caffine. It was like one cup could keep him fueled for an entire day. Savannah smiled to herself at the thought. She could remember those late nights of exams when she and Juice lived off caffine. It was hard not to get addicted to it.

"Now there's a smile I never saw. At least for me." A voice said out, pulling her from her thoughts.

Raising her head, her smile fell at the sight of Bash standing there. Exactly who she was hoping to advoid for . . . well, the rest of her life. Obviously fate had other plans. "Bash, I-"

He shook his head quickly, silencing her. "Don't bother. I knew this was coming. You told me at the beginning you didn't want a relationship. I mean, it still sucks. A lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm pissed at how it went down, but I'm getting over it. Over you."

Savannah didn't know what to say, she was speechless. She felt like a deer in the headlights with her jaw slacked. She'd catch a fly if she didn't close it. How could he be this cool about it? No one was this cool about it. She would have dumped that coffee in his hands right in his face. Her eyes flickered back to the drinks in his hands. Drinks, as in two. As in, he was going to meet someone. Lily, if she had to guess.

Now it made sense.

As much as she shouldn't have been, she was happy for Bash. She wanted him to find someone else and be happy. It might be for more selfish reasons, not wanting that guilt on her conscious, but she did genuinely want him to find happiness. "Doesn't mean you don't deserve an apology. Juice and I-" Bash cringed at the mention of Juice. Obviously, he wasn't as okay with it as he wanted her to believe. "We didn't want to hurt you or Lily. It wasn't some game to us. You both deserved so much better. I hope you can forgive me one day. Lily too."

Bash glared at the coffee in his hands. "You're right. We did deserve better." She stared at him in disbelief, surprised by his blunt response. The guy giving out the coffee called her order, startling her. Bash nodded to her. "Was good seeing you, Savannah."

Savannah's dark eyes followed him as he walked away, still stunned by his response. sees him with lily and then the guy behind the counter calls her again and she snaps out of it. She knew he was right, but it didn't help the guilt she felt. Her body tensed as she noticed a familiar head of dark hair approach Bash outside the doors.

Lily had just walked over, smiling as she greeted him with a hug. Bash smiled in return as he handed her the drink he'd gotten for her. Her favorite no doubt, if her reaction was anything to go by. "Ma'am, your order is ready." The boy behind the counter said again, annoyed by having to repeat her number.

Clearing her throat, she nodded her thanks and took the bag and tray of coffees from him. Glancing back over, she watched as Bash tossed an arm around Lily's shoulder as if it was the most natural thing to do and head off. Where? She didn't know, but it was nice to see them both happy. If they were now a thing, she had no idea and she had no right to know. All she knew for sure, was a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and it felt good. She finally had that dreaded talk with Bash, and it had gone a lot better than she thought it was going to. She waited another minute, giving them time to go down the block, before grabbing her things and heading off to get to the clubhouse.

Getting officially dumped never felt so . . . relieving.

#^%&&$&^%

Sunlight leaked into the dark bar room of the clubhouse, gaining a few groans from men who just happened to have the poor luck of getting hit with the streams of light. Her heels clicked against the wooden floors as she wondered inside, looking for signs of a certain mohowked biker she was involved with. Her worst nightmare was to find Juice in a similar situation like a sleeping Chibs was on the couch. His bare legs spread open while an unconscious woman slept between his thighs. She grimaced, not wanting to imagine wha those two had been doing.

Her eyes landed on a snoring man on the pool table, dressed in nothing but his boxers. His snores were as loud as a lawn mower, and it was hard to believe anyone was sleeping through it. There were some nights even she had to push him out of their bed back in New York so she could get some sleep. The memory brought a smile to her lips as she set down the muffins on the counter.

At least he was alone, not that she expected any different. She trusted Juice. They'd been through too much for him to cheat on her now with some faceless sweetbutt who had been shared between the boys a few times. Though, she couldn't wait to hear how he explained being stripped down to his boxers.

Glancing around the room, she saw that everyone was basically still sleeping off their hang overs, Juice included. Walking over to the pool table. she hopped up on the side to beside him. Leaning down, she stroked his cheek affectionately. "Juice, it's time to wake up." She said softly, not wanting to wake anyone else up.

She stiffled a laugh as he grumbled and laid on his back, pulling her hand with him. Her brow raised upon seeing his morning wood. "Feels so good, baby." He mumbled, still sleeping.

Clearly, _someone_ was having a nice dream.

She could wake him nicely, but where was the fun in that? Instead, she grab one of the coffee and sprinkled a few drops on him. He just snored again. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the pool stick and poked him when she knew he was still healing from his fight with Bash. "Shit!" He gasped, jumping up and rolling away from her. Unfortunately, the motion sent him rolling over the edge of the table and onto the floor with a heavy thub. "Fuck!" He swore with a groan as he laid up.

Savannah had to cover her mouth to contain the gasp. She hadn't meant for that to happen. She just wanted to surprise him. Climbing back to his feet, he looked like he was about to give one of the guys a new one for spooking him, but stopped himself when he saw it was her. His eyes widened, almost frightened when he realized how underdressed he was. "It's not what it looks like. I swear." He immediately said, knowing just how bad it had to look.

She knew he hadn't slept with anyone else, she trusted him, but she was having too much fun making his squirm. Crossing her arms, she just raised a brow. She was daring him to come up with a reasonable explaination for why he was sleeping on the pool table in his boxers.

She couldn't wait for his answer.

"Look, Tig dared me if I couldn't make this, uh, this shot I'd have to give up my room for a week. I thought I could land it, but obviously I didn't. I drank. A lot. Fell asleep here. I guess I wasn't comfortable in my jeans and took them off. Shirt too." He said, cringing internally at just how stupid it sounded.

"Cause the pool table is so comfortable to begin with?" She said, grinning in a way that told him she was joking with him.

"Not really, no." He said, rubbing the kink out of his neck.

She wasn't mad, she believed him. Relieved, he let out the breath of air he'd been holding. His shoulders dropped before he grabbing his jeans to put them on. He grimaced when he saw a mystery stain on them and let them drop back to the floor. Just boxers it was. Savannah's nose scrunched up in disgust as she rounded the table, passing him a coffee on the way. "Uh, thanks." He said, surprised at the gesture.

Savannah shrugged, heading back to the bar to grab the bag of muffins she'd gotten. "What did Tig want your room for anyway?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder before she took a muffin out of the bag and took a bite from it. "Why a week specifically?"

Juice winced, touching his sore back, as he followed her to the bar. Climbing into the stool he reached into the bag and found another muffin. "I don't think I asked, and I'm honestly not sure I want to know. All I do know is I'm probably going to have to preform an exorcism when I get it back." He said, mouth full of muffin.

Savannah's nose crinkled again when she saw a few crumbs fall from him mouth. "Scary part is you really might have to."

Reaching over, she brushed off a few crumbs from his cheek. He blushed when he realized how sloppy an eater he was being. Rubbing his cheek, he cleared his throat as he straightened up in his seat. Silence fell over them as they both picked at their breakfast. Savannah wanted to tell him about Bash and their run in, that they were free to be together, but then she remembered they weren't. Juice still needed to talk to Lily.

"So, uh, you talk to Lily yet?" She said, clearing her throat uncomfortably.

She didn't know who looked more awkward. Neither wanted to talk about it, but it couldn't not be talked about. If they wanted to make this work, it had to start off correctly. That meant talking to Bash and Lily and officially ending things with them. Her conversation with Bash was now out of the way, so that left Juice with Lily. Granted, she should talk to Lily too, but that conversation could, and probably would, be a while.

Juice lowered his gaze, not knowing what to tell her. He wanted to be able to say he'd talked to her, but he hadn't. He'd tried to, he really did, but she wouldn't answer his calls. He didn't have the balls to go track her down, but he wasn't so much of an asshole to text it to her. "I, uh, I haven't seen her since, well, you know. When _us_ happened." He said, refusing to meet her gaze until he finished talking.

She could see the guilt in his eyes. Not because of what happened. He didn't, _couldn't_ , regret them finally caving into their need for each other. It didn't mean he couldn't feel guilty for who got hurt because of it. He genuinely liked Lily, she was a nice girl. It was nothing against her, she really was great. She just wasn't the girl for him. She wasn't Savannah.

"I saw her." Juice's head snapped up at the mention of seeing Lily. "Uh, when I was grabbing breakfast. Bash was there getting coffee, for him and Lily. I guess they're friends now."

Savannah watched him, as if she was trying to gauge his reaction to the news. Not even a spark of jealousy lit in his eyes, and she found herself relieved. "Glad something good came out of this, I guess. Well, besides us. I just . . . I didn't want to hurt her, Sav. I love you, you know I do, but Lily . . . she was the first person who was nice to me here. She showed me around town and didn't immediately hate me. She didn't know my history with you like Jax did. She was my friend before anything happened between us." He confessed, hoping she didn't take it the wrong way.

He didn't want her to think he had fallen for Lily, because his feelings for the mocha skinned girl were nothing compared to his feelings for her. It didn't change the friend he'd found in Lily, no matter how badly he screwed up when it came to his relationship with her.

Savannah wasn't going to lie, it sucked hearing how much he cared about her, but she knew how it felt to be the outsider in Charming. She grew up here, but it was always difficult growing up. No one outside of the club understood and judged her for her family. She didn't have a real friend until she met Lily, and it was that friendship that got her through most of high school. She couldn't imagine not having Lily there, what it would have been like if she didn't. It hurt her to know she'd broken her best friend's heart, and she hated herself for it.

Reaching over, she took Juice's hand in her own. "Lily was my first real friend in Charming. Besides Opie. He was always more Jax's friend then mine. Lily was just mine. My mom and Unser have always been close, since she was a teenager. So I got to hang out with Lily a lot. She understood what a lot of kids at school didn't. Even stuck up for me when I couldn't. I hate that I hurt her. I hate that I hurt Bash. He's been nothing but nice to me, and I . . . I completely just walked right over him because of my feelings for you. I don't regret us happening, Juice. I promise, I don't. I just . . . wish no one had to get hurt." Savannah said, squeezing his hand before her eyes met his.

He could see the guilt they both carried in her eyes. Guilt for getting what she wanted at the expense of hurting someone else she cared about. He wished he could ease her guilt, but he wasn't sure if anyone could do that besides Lily herself. Feeling her squeeze his hand, his eyes lifted to meet her own. "I talked to Bash. It's your turn to make it official with Lily before anything between us happens again. I can't . . . I want to start us on the right foot this time. No secrets, no lies. That means clearing the air with Lily." Savannah said, putting her foot down on the matter.

Getting to her feet, she leaned over and kissed him. The kiss lingered just long enough for him to crave more. He leaned further in to deepen the kiss, but she pulled out of his reach before he could. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again. "Talk to Lily first, then we'll continue this. I mean it, Juice." She said before grabbing her coffee and heading out. Juice's eyes followed her retreating frame until she was no longer in the building.

Well, that wasn't how he thought his morning would go.

#$%^&&^

Unfortunately, on her way out of the clubhouse, Gemma called her and roped her into helping set up Abel's homecoming decorations. It wasn't that she didn't want to help, she couldn't wait to hold her nephew again. It was the fact she knew it wouldn't be just Gemma over at Jax's house. Her mom had given her a head's up that Wendy was back in town, and she hated how everyone was just accepting her back. Deep down, she knew it was only because Gemma knew she could control Wendy, whereas with Tara she couldn't.

It was all about control, and a junkie was easer to control than a strong willed doctor. She knew Jax was just trying to play nice, Abel was her kid too, but she didn't deserve him. That boy was only just now coming home after two months because of her actions. It didn't sit well with Savannah, not even a little bit.

So when she walked into Jax's home to find her mother talking to the junkie ex sister in-law of hers, she was not pleased. She seemed to have come at a bad time, seeing as the conversation stopped as soon as she came in. Wendy immediately closed up, crossing her arms as she refused to meet Savannah's eyes.

"Looks like you got all the help you need, ma. Do I really need to be here?" She asked, her eyes flickering over to her mother at the other side of the living room.

Wendy tried not to let her emotions show. She was hurt, but Savannah had a feeling it had to do more with whatever they were talking about then her not wanting to be around her. "You're not off the hook, smartass. Get over here and help me with this." She said, knowing Savannah was going to bolt if she let her. Unfortunately, the younger Teller woman wasn't so lucky.

Savannah rolled her eyes, huffing as she put her bag down before taking the tacks from her and helping her with the streamers. Wendy didn't move to help. "I still meant everything I said, Wendy." Gemma said, glancing over her shoulder to the junkie. "What do you care what my motives are? You still get the thing you want the most. So do I."

Savannah tensed as she helped her wrap the flimsy paper around the pole. Tara had texted her about Wendy being back, but she didn't realize her mom was already making a play. Alright, maybe she did know but wanted to give Gemma the benefit of the doubt. So far she'd been pretty quite about her and Juice being . . . well, whatever they are now. Of course, Gemma approved of Juice now that he wore leather on his back with a top rocker on it.

"Ma, Jax warned you to butt out." Savannah reminded her mother, only to recieve a glare in returned.

Jax could talk all he wanted, but Gemma would do what she did best and completely ignored his plea if it got her what she thought was best. That was for her kids to stay in Charming. Both of them.

"I was okay with you slipping me enough crank to kill a horse. Because of what I did to Abel. I deserved that." Savannah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "But I am not the same person I was two months ago. I can't be a part of this."

Savannah had to snort at that. She couldn't help herself. Wendy had to be high to think being in rehab for two months meant she was a changed woman. It wouldn't be her first run in rehab, so Savannah had the right to stay skeptical. Wendy narrowed her eyes at the younger Teller, but ignored her as she turned to face Gemma. "You're playing with people's lives, Gemma. Savannah, you have to see how wrong this is?" She said, looking between the two.

She was fighting a losing battle. Of course Savannah knew her mom medaling was never going to end well, but she didn't want any part of this. She had enough shit on her plate without adding her brother's shit onto it too. "Don't pull me into this, Wendy. I am never going to be on your side after what you did to Abel. Don't expect my feelings toward you to change any time soon." Savannah said, making it clear Wendy was not to look to her for help in this.

Even if she didn't approve of her mother's methods of getting shit done, she wasn't going to give Wendy the satification of thinking she agreed with her. Especially when it against her ma, that was never going to happen. _Ever_.

"I'm protecting the innocent." Gemma said, causing Savannah to raise a brow at her. "I am, and if I step on a few toes in the meanwhile; so be it." She said upon seeing the skepticism in both Savannah and Wendy's eyes.

"Jesus. You really believe that, don't you?" Wendy asked, not believing Gemma would mess with someone's life the way she was trying to.

Unfortunately, Savannah could believe it, because she'd seen her do it before. Gemma would do whatever she could if it meant protecting her kids and the guys. No matter how twisted her thinking was. "So what? Putting down that needle for a few weeks suddenly gives you the right to judge me? You better take a long look, sweetheart, 'cause you are burning a hole through the very thing you can't wait to become. Maybe that's why you hate yourself so much." Gemma said, glancing between the girls. Wendy lowered her head, not wanting to meet her accusing eyes. "The sooner you accept that, the sooner you put down this holy crutch." She went on, touching the new cross necklace Wendy had around her neck.

"Jesus . . ." Gemma started. "Is just a guy who cuts my lawn."

With that, Gemma returned to decorating, putting them both to work. Wendy and Savannah didn't speak to each other, and Gemma wasn't up to playing referee. The only words spoken were instructions and comments about the decorations they were putting up. It somehow made the afternoon go by that much longer.


	20. Back To Going Slow

_Honestly forgot I had this chapter done. Apologies for not posting it sooner. Life's been hectic and I'm still trying to get it manageable. Big thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story and my big update gaps while I go through this awful writing slump. I do not own anything in this story, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners._

 _Chapter 20_

 _#%^ &*%&$_

Juice took his chance to head into town while the guys were all out getting their stuff done before Abel's homecoming tonight. He wished he could be putting his free time to some good use to make up some lost time with Savannah, but she'd been roped into helping with decorating and getting supplies for said homecoming party. So, instead he was walking around town, trying to find his ex to make her officially his ex. Yeah, it sounded as fun as it actually was.

He knew she wouldn't be at the station, given that her and Unser were still suspended until this case against Bobby was done. His body tensed up at the reminder of the mess that was currently happening back at the clubhouse. Opie, a rat. He still couldn't wrap his head around that, but he'd seen the cash transactions himself. Someone paid off all of Opie's debts, and they did it for a reason. His family was taken out in the middle of the night peacefully. It was just like they picked up and left, and he couldn't think of another reason to explain why.

But could he believe his brother would betray them? He didn't know. He didn't want to, but the facts were against him. He shuddered at the thought of what would happen to Opie if he was confirmed to be a rat. He didn't wish that punishment on anyone. He didn't have the heart for it, that much he knew for sure. Opie was his friend. His brother. But enemy? No, that was something he couldn't see.

What he could see though, was Lily Unser smelling flowers outside of one of the shops on Main Street. He couldn't help but notice she looked nice in her fitting denim capris. It shaped her ass in a way that would look trashy on anyone else. Except maybe Savannah. Fuck, he shouldn't be checking out her ass while on his way to break things off with her. That seemed like an obvious big fat 'don't fucking do that, you dumbass' thing he should just know.

It wasn't the first time her ass got his attention. It was the first thing he noticed about her when they met.

 _Juice was new to Charming, he had only been in town a few weeks. His initial attempt to see Savannah hadn't gone as planned. Meaning, she wasn't even here in Charming. Also meaning, Jax gave him a black eye for showing his face. He winced at the reminder of his currently bruised cheek. His fingers touched the darkened skin, a move he immediately regretted when he flinched in pain because of it._

 _So maybe just showing up hadn't been his best idea. He didn't expect her not to be in Charming though. This was her home. She should have been here, but she wasn't. Of course, he wasn't really expecting a warm welcome if she had been. Now that he thought about it, the icy welcoming he got is exactly what he should have expected. Only, instead of Jax causing his injury, it'd be the brunette who'd been the occupant of his thoughts the past few years._

 _His thoughts were interrupted when a bag of peas was placed in front of him. His brows knitted together in confusion before his eyes lifted to see a girl standing there. It was the waitress he'd noticed when he first came in the diner. Well, the girl the ass he'd been checking out belonged to, if he was being honest._

 _Sensing his confusion, she gave him a small smile and motioned to the bag. "It'll help with the swellin'." She said before her eyes widened as something seemed to dawn on her. "Oh, and here ya go. It's on the house." She put the plate of pie down in front of him. "Best cherry pie in Charming. It always cheers me up when I'm having a hard day, and it looks like you're having one so . . . you know, enjoy." She went on, blushing as she tried not to fidget with her shirt._

 _The corner of his mouth twisted up, giving her a crooked smile. She was cute, he'd admit that. Not just look wise, but she was nice. No one had been nice to him in a long time. "Thanks, uh . . ." His eyes darted to her name tag. "Lily. Thanks, Lily." He said before he picked up his fork and dug it into the slice of pie._

 _"No problem. You're new to town." It wasn't a question._

 _Was it that obvious? Maybe this town really was as small as Savannah described it to be. He was starting to believe it was. He had yet to find a Target anywhere near by, and he was in serious need of new . . . well, everything. He swallowed the piece of pie, trying not to grimace. It wasn't the best pie he'd ever had. Mrs. P's was still the best by far, but it wasn't the worst he'd ever had either. It was still a nice gesture from this girl, the least he could do was be polite._

 _"What gave me away?" He said, giving her a weak attempt of a grin._

 _She laughed, and he found he liked the sound of her laugh. It was nice. Not too screechy, but not fake either. She had a nice smile, he realized._

 _Lily shrugged, smirking playfully. "Mostly the accent, and your smile. I'd remember that smile."_

 _He chuckled when she suddenly became flustered. The blush that appeared on her mocha skin made his insides flutter. It was a feeling he shouldn't be feeling, given his reasoning for being here in Charming in the first place, but he ignored it. It wouldn't hurt to make friends. No, it wouldn't hurt at all._

 _"I'm Jua . . . I'm Juice. Call me Juice."_

Blinking back from his memory, Juice felt his body tense seeing her still standing there. He had half a mind to turn around. She hadn't seen him yet, he could still avoid this entire conversation and go the other way. Of course, that would leave him still at square one. He just had to get this conversation over with. He wanted to move forward with Savannah, and this was keeping that from happening.

Was it douchy to consider breaking up with someone so he could date someone else? Yeah, he was pretty sure it was. _Shit_.

Lily's head lifted, as if knowing he was watching her, and it was that moment he knew running off before she noticed him was no longer an option. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he checked both sides of the street before jogging across. He lowered his head as he approached her, not sure he could look her in the eye. Fuck, he was such a coward.

"Hey, I've tried callin' you." He said, lifting his eyes briefly before lowering them again.

He never felt more uncomfortable, and she didn't look any better off. Clearing his throat, he shifted from one foot to the other. "I was hoping me not answering would tell you I didn't want to talk to you." She said, her voice unusually cold toward him. He wasn't used to her being angry with him, they'd been friends for a couple of years now and this was first time.

When he didn't say anything, she huffed and rolled her eyes. She moved to walk past him, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Lily, wait-"

"Don't touch me!" She snapped, cutting him off. "Don't you ever touch me again, Juice. I'm serious."

He looked surprised by the tone in her voice, not having expected it. She was pissed, and he didn't blame her for being it. He knew she was suspicious of his feelings for Savannah, and he had no doubt in his mind she could put two and two together. "I just want to talk, Lily. About us." He said, holding his hands up to show he came in peace.

A scoff slipped out from her lips. He was joking, right? They stopped being an 'us' when he decided to screw Savannah in the bathroom while they were on a date. Then again, she was almost certain he hadn't known she'd seen them that day. "I saw you with her, Juice. While _we_ were on a date, I saw _you_ with _her_." She said, hoping he understood why she was so upset now.

When she saw the fear and understanding in his eyes, she knew he realized what she meant. The look of realization was replaced with guilt and then nothing at all quickly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lily. I didn't-" He tried to say, but was quickly cut off.

"Don't you dare stand there and lie to my face, Juice. I saw you with her in the bathroom. You said . . . you said you loved her. Was I just some game to you? Clay want you to get close to me because of where I work and to have one over on my dad? Is that it?" She asked, the hurt clear in her voice.

With the memory of how they met still fresh in his mind, he could honestly say being her friend was never some game to him. At a time, he lived off those visits to the diner. Even if it meant crappy cherry pie, he was still grateful for the ears willing to listen to him ramble. "No, it wasn't . . . you were my friend, Lil. I did like you a lot." He tried to explain, but he could see she wasn't pleased with his answer.

"But you love her."

It wasn't a question.

"I never stopped."

He didn't hesitate in answering her. Then again, she didn't really say it as a question because she already knew. Maybe she always knew and just didn't want to admit it. She wanted to believe he liked her, wanted her, but she had always been the fill in until Savannah returned. That was what hurt the most. "I defended you. Everyone told me you were trouble, that you'd bring me nothing but heartache and danger. My father, David, hell even _Savannah_ . . . I didn't listen to them. I never listen to them, and now I wish I did. Don't call me, or seek me out anymore. Okay?" She said, her heart breaking the longer she stood there.

He wasn't prepared to feel this . . . hurt. He honestly cared about Lily, and he still cared about her, but it wasn't in the way she needed him to. He knew she deserved better. As much as it hurt to let her go, as his friend or as more than a friend, he knew he had to. "Okay." He said, lowering his head again.

She stood there for another moment, as if waiting for him to say something else. When he didn't, she sighed and continued down the street. His eyes lifted in time to watch her disappear around the corner. It was official. Lily and he were over. As sad as he was it ended like it did, he never felt more relieved. He was going to hell, if that wasn't already a given.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He could be with Savannah guilt free, and he now saw why she was insistent on doing this before they got back together. She wanted to start them again on the right foot, and him being officially single before they did anything was the better way to start. Savannah already made peace, kind of, with Bash. Now he had done the same with Lily. He knew there was still issues they had to take into consideration, but the biggest obstacles were out of the way.

Who ever thought getting broken up with ever felt so good?

#$%^$^&

While Gemma went to the hospital, Wendy and Savannah stayed behind to finish preparing for the party. Croweaters had showed up to help, but Savannah wasn't a fan of them. She wasn't used to playing her mother's role of queen, and they were looking to her for directions. Wendy was no help, and thankfully she left when Jax stopped by to pick her up before going to meet Gemma at the hospital. Bumpy start aside, she fit into the queen role easily, a bit too easy for her liking.

The party was in full swing when the group of Gemma, Wendy, and Jax ,who was holding Abel, arrived. Luanne held the door open for them, letting Jax inside with Abel first. Savannah got up from her seat with Donna and headed over, kissing her brother's cheek before stroking Abel's cheek. The baby looked up at her with wide eyes and chubby cheeks she just wanted to squeeze and never let go of.

A few hello's were called over before a round of applause started. Jax carried little Abel toward Piney, who was smiling proudly at the younger blonde. The two hugged, the older man congratulating the proud new father.

Juice appeared from the kitchen with a beer, his smile spreading across his face upon seeing Savannah leading the end of the group. "Hey, babe. Was wonderin' where you went." He said, wrapping arm around her as he pulled her into a quick kiss.

As guilty as he felt for hurting Lily, he was happy to be able to hold Savannah in his arms again and just kiss her. He knew it wouldn't go right back to how it was before, but this was a start. The two headed over to the crowd of people trying to get a look at the newest prince of Samcro. Juice craned his neck trying to see. "It's you and grandpa, huh?" Clay chuckled, pretending to offer the infant his drink.

Savannah wrapped her arms around Juice's middle and smiled as she rested her head against his chest. This was how it should be. It felt right. "Watcha thinking about?" He whispered into her ear before kissing her head.

"Just happy the worst is over, I guess. I'm gonna go grab a slice of cake. Wanna split it?" She asked, moving herself out of his hold as she turned to head for the kitchen.

His hand caught her wrist, keeping her from walking any further. Turning her head, she shot him a confused expression. "I, uh, I bumped into Lily. We're done. Officially, I mean. Me and her, n-not you and me. Cause, you know, I want there to be a you and me. Officially." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Savannah just looked at him for a long moment, not sure of how to answer to that. She could see how nervous he was, and she found it cute. She hadn't seen him this nervous since they were still in college. The longer she just stood there, the more worried he was she had changed her mind about wanting to be with him again.

Leaning forward, she surprised him as she pressed her lips against his. It wasn't a long kiss, but it lingered long enough to get her point across and for the others to notice. Opening her eyes, she smiled when she saw the dreamy look on his face. "I'd like there to be a you and me officially too, Juice. I'm gonna go get cake before the guys gobble it down." She said, stroking his cheek before heading for the kitchen.

Juice couldn't hide the grin that spread across his face. The color on his cheeks only darkened when Chibs patted him on the back in his own congratulations. Chuckling he tipped his beer to him before finding a seat beside Tig and joining the conversation while he waited for Savannah to return with their piece of cake.

The door opened as Tara slipped inside. Savannah gave her a weak wave before she headed into the kitchen. She could see the uncomfortableness on her friend's face and knew it had to do with her mother pushing Wendy on Jax. It couldn't be easy for Tara, but it wasn't a place she could touch either. Wendy and Jax shared a son, a bond she couldn't forget or ignore.

Savannah was moving the big slice of cake onto a plate when she felt a hand touch her arm. For a second, she thought it was going to be Tara seeking her out since she was one of the few friendly faces here. Instead, she found Donna standing there. "Oh, hey, Don. Thanks again for comin' early to help me out. I swear I was a chicken without a head before you showed up. I guess you really do need a mother's touch when planning a party." She said, giving her a nervous smile.

She wasn't close to Donna, not as close as she was to Tara back in high school, but they were still friends. Things had been tense lately, and it was safe to say she was surprised when Donna showed up with her kids to help. "No problem. Happy to help. Can I ask you something?" She said, suddenly nervous as she fidgeted with her hands. After a second, she finally settled for stuffing them into her back pockets of her jeans.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She said, not sure what Donna could possibly want to ask her.

Glancing back, she waited until the last croweater left the room before clearing her throat. She lowered her head, shifting from one foot to the other before raising her eyes to meet hers. "You had a chance to have a normal life. You were out of Charming. Why come back? Why go back to the club?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

It was a fair question. When she'd left for college, she wanted nothing more than to get out of the club life. She was so happy when she found out she'd be getting as far away from Charming as she possibly could without leaving the country. Then she'd met Juice and she let herself dream she could have that normal life. Something never fully clicked though. Something was missing, no matter how much she loved Juice and wanted a future with him.

Then she decided to travel the world. Even seeing the most beautiful kinds of places the world had to offer, she only ever wanted to come back home to Charming. Still, even back in Charming, she'd tried to fight the life she was destined to have. She dated Bash, as normal a guy as you could get without him being a stick in the mud like the Hales. Still, something was missing. It never felt just . . . right. Not like it did just now when she was in Juice's arms.

"Charming's home. I was literally in the more beautiful place on the planet, and all I could think about was coming home. As for the club, it's not the club itself. It's the people. They're my family. You, Ope, your kids, you're my family, Donna. Home wouldn't be home without everyone." She tried to explain.

"Where's Juice fit in there?" She asked, her eyes screaming just how scared she was. "You guys could have had a great life back in New York from what Opie told me."

Savannah smiled sadly, knowing she wasn't wrong about that. They could have had it all if fate had let them. She firmly believed they just weren't meant to have it there. "I think . . . everything worked out the way it needed to. I love him. He's my Opie, Don. I think him coming to Charming after he got out, it was fate giving him to me. We're meant to be. I know it." She explained, hoping it didn't sound as crazy as it sounded to her.

Donna smiled weakly, knowing exactly what she meant. Nodding her head, she seemed to be satisfied with Savannah's answer. Savannah cleared her throat and picked up her plate. "Well, I should get out there." She said, turning to leave with her food. She paused when she saw Tara come in. The doctor couldn't look more out of place if she tried. "Oh, hey. Grab a beer before they're gone. You look like you need one." She said, motioning for the fridge.

Donna touched her arm, giving her a small nod before she left the room in search of her family. It left the doctor and mechanic alone. Tara hesitated before opening the fridge and pulling a couple beers out. "Here, you'll need something to wash all that cake down." She said, giving her an uncomfortable smile.

Returning her smile, she took the bottle from her outstretched hand. It shouldn't be so awkward between them, but it was. Tara felt like an outsider fighting her way back in. Savannah was stuck in the middle between her ma and her friend and she wanted nothing more to be out of it. "You know my mom's just trying to scare you off. She can't control you like she can Wendy. She doesn't have to worry about her taking Jax from her. He almost ran off with you the first time, she's scared if you ask him to leave again he'll follow this time." Savannah said, hoping she soothed her friend's nerves a little bit.

Though, honestly, she wasn't sure if she was making it worse or better.

Tara didn't look so convinced, but she mustered up her best smile and nodded. "You should get back to Juice. I'm sure he's missing you already. I'm glad you guys finally worked it out."

Savannah smiled weakly, nodding her head. They weren't completely back on track, but they were closer than they'd been this morning and she'd take what she could get. "We're still working on things, but it wouldn't be worth it if we didn't have to work hard to have it. You and Jax will figure it out too. I know it." She said, kissing her cheek before she moved around her and headed back to the party.

Slipping back through the crowd, she found Juice easily enough and settled herself down onto his knee. Surprised appeared on his face before he realized it was her and a smile replaced it. His arm snaked around her, his hand resting on her hip. "Hey, baby. What took so long?" He asked, leaning back into the couch slightly so he didn't have to crane his neck up to look at her.

"I got held up while I snagged us some cake. Sorry, Tiggy. I only grabbed two forks. You'll have to get your own." She said, slapping his hand away before he could swipe some of the frosting off the top.

Tig narrowed his eyes, but it only lasted a moment before another woman caught his eyes and he excused himself. Juice took one of the forks and happily dug into the dessert she'd brought him. "Damn, I love Gemma's chocolate cake. Almost as good as the brownies Mrs. P use to make." He said, his mouth stuffed with said delicious cake.

Giggling, she reached up and wiped some chocolate off his face. "You are such a pig, Ortiz."

Their laughter mixed in with Piney's as he balanced his drink on top of Kenny, Opie's son's, head as if it was a true talent. Savannah's eyes followed Wendy as she took a seat beside the old man and then crossed the room as Tara sat down on the arm of Jax's chair. The look in Tara's eyes only said trouble and she knew where this was going wasn't going to be good. Her eyes flickered over to Wendy to see her watching as well. Yeah, this wasn't going to end well at all.

Savannah watched as the doctor leaned down and kissed Jax deeply. She was staking her claim, and it couldn't have been for a worse reason. It wasn't the right time or place to do so, and Jax wasn't going to appreciate it. Savannah's noticed the kiss had caught Gemma's attention as well, and now her brother was embarrassed. Tara looked smug as she settled back, unaware that things were about to hit the fan.

"I'll be right back." Jax said, his eyes scanning the faces of the people closest to him as he stood up. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Savannah tensed as Jax and Tara went past them into Abel's nursery to talk. Wendy's eyes followed him, curious to see how this played out. So did Gemma's. The queen looked smug, knowing exactly what was going to happen because of that little scene. Conversation had picked back up again, but the two Teller women knew that conversation could only go one way and it wasn't in Tara's favor.

"This can't end well. I'm gonna go see if I can do damage control." Savannah said, leaning over to kiss him quickly before she got up.

She was about to move when a loud slap could be heard from the room. Yeah, that conversation didn't go well.

"Shit." Savannah muttered, moving around Juice's legs as she got to the door.

Tara was storming out from the nursery, hurt and embarrassment in her eyes. She pushed off Savannah's worried hands, heading right to the door once she collected her purse from the kitchen counter. The door closed behind her with a small slam. Juice appeared behind her, squeezing her shoulder. He knew she wanted to make sure Tara was alright. Jax came out a few seconds later from the same direction Tara had come from.

Jax paused, looking between them. "Do me a favor. Make sure Tara gets home okay?" He said to them both, knowing Savannah would be just as worried about her friend as he was. Juice glanced curiously to the side to see a dark mark now bruising on his Jax's cheek from Tara's slap. "Don't ask." He said with a sigh.

"Okay." Juice said, shrugging as he passed his beer to Jax before nodding his head for Savannah to follow.

Savannah squeezed her brother's arm sympathetically before grabbing her jacket and following Juice out. Jax sighed heavily as he put the half-drunk bottle down. His eyes flickered back into the living room to see both Gemma and Wendy were watching him too. Wendy gave him a weak smile, though she was over the moon to see the two fighting. Gemma sat on the couch across from her smugly, knowing her plan had worked perfectly. The doctor was out, the junkie was back in. For now, at least.

#%^&*#$%

Donna was dead.

It didn't seem possible, she'd only just had a conversation with her an hour ago, but she was dead and everything was chaos. While they were busy making sure Tara got home alright, who was protecting Donna? No one. She'd been shot in the back of the head like it was nothing. It couldn't be real. Savannah didn't want to believe it, but it was all too real.

Donna was dead, and there was no way to pretend it didn't happen.

Opie was a mess. Jax and Savannah brought him home to his kids. They weren't going to understand what was happening. Only an hour ago they were saying goodbye to their mom and thinking she'd be there when they woke up the next morning. Only, she wasn't. Opie wasn't going to have his wife in his arms the next morning. It didn't make any sense, nothing about this made any sense.

Savannah called Mary, Opie's mother, and left a message on her machine about what had happened. It was hard to put it into words exactly what had happened, but she did her best and hopefully get the point across. Mary needed to come to Charming for Opie and her grandkids because Donna was gone.

Once there was nothing more Savannah or Jax could do for their friend, they both headed home for the night. Savannah was almost home when she realized it wasn't where she wanted to be. She wanted to be in Juice's arms where it was safe. So, she ended up back at the clubhouse where there was no music playing. No one was partying tonight. No sweetbutts were swinging on the poles, and no men were cheering them on. The room was mostly empty besides the two men sitting at the bar.

Savannah watched as the both took a sip of their beers. Sighing, the brunette crossed the room and came up behind Juice. He didn't notice she was there right away until she put her hand on his arm to get his attention. He finally tore his gaze away from the wall to meet her worried eyes. His brown orbs were glazed over with tears, his eyes rimmed red from the tears that already escaped earlier. He could see a similar look on her own face.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" She asked, though she already knew he'd let her.

He nodded slowly, stumbling to his feet. Obviously, this wasn't his first beer tonight. Giving a sad smile to Chibs, she nodded her head with a silent goodnight before letting Juice wrap his arm around her shoulders. He leaned on her for support, and she was happy to give it. The two walked back to the dorm rooms, only stopping when they reached the room she knew to be his.

Juice twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Savannah helped him inside and kicked the door shut behind them. The room was dark, but it didn't take long for their eyes to adjust. Juice's room was clean, something that didn't surprise her. She remembered how he would get annoyed when she left a mess in their room back in New York. His OCD would go into overdrive and he'd have to clean it up before he could relax.

Juice dropped onto the bed with a heavy sigh. He'd been thinking, and Savannah wasn't sure she was gonna like where his thoughts had turned. "Maybe you were right. Maybe this shouldn't happen. I don't know wha-what I'd do if that was you. Fuck, the whole reason I broke things off with you while I was inside was because I didn't want you in the crossfire." He said, rubbing a hand down his face.

Obviously, he'd been thinking about this since they found Donna. He was scared, and she didn't blame him. He had to know breaking things off with her wouldn't make her safer. She'd still be Clay Morrow's step daughter, and Jax Teller's sister. Straddling him, she touched his cheek before lifting his chin. "Juan Carlos Ortiz, don't you dare back out on me now. Tonight . . . that's never happened before. It wasn't your fault. Just because I'm not with you, doesn't make me any less of a target. I've grown up with this life, and I'm here for good. I'm not letting you push me away this time. You're stuck with me." She said, stroking his cheek affectionately.

"You know I love you, right?" He said, his voice raw as he looked up.

Smiling sadly, she leaned down and kissed him. Before she could pull back, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. As the kiss intensified, Juice lifted her up and twisted them around so he could lay her down on the bed. A whine left her throat when his lips left hers. He laid up just long enough to unzip his kutte and slip it off along with his shirt.

Reaching up, she slipped her fingers around his neck and pulled him back down. Their lips met half way, battling for control until his lips moved down from hers. He left a trail of kisses down her neck, causing her to sigh when he sucked on the right spot between her shoulder and neck. He still knew exactly which spots to kiss to get a reaction out of her.

His hands pushed up her shirt until he could just pull it off her and toss it across the room. It was only in his way, along with her shorts. Those had to go. As he fumbled with the button of her shorts, she put her hands over his and pull back slightly so they could lock gazes. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere, Juice. Go slow. We don't need to rush, got all night." She said softly, stroking his cheek affectionately before kissing him.

Slow.

Everything today had been so fast. Her talking to Bash, him with Lily, then the party and Donna being . . . killed. So much happened before he could even take a breath. He let her push him onto his back, tossing her leg over him so she was straddling his hips. Her fingers undid his belt, her lips kissing his chest. Her teeth nipped at his nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure through him. His eyes closed, a sigh leaving his mouth as he felt her fingers slip into his open jeans.

Yeah, slow would be nice, he thought to himself. Slow would be really nice.


End file.
